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HISTORY OF WITNEY
BY W. J. MONK.
Author of the "History of Burford," etc
WITNEY:
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. KNIGHT, " GAZETTE " OFFICE.
1894.
COPYRIGHT,
CHAPTERS.
Chapters. I. Witney in Early Times.
,, II. Witney in Mediceval Times.
,, III. Witney in Later Times.
,, IV. The Woollen Manufacture.
„ V. The Court Leet and Borough Records.
,, VI. Ecclesiastical Witney.
,, VII. Nonconformity in Witney.
„ VIII. Witney in Times of War and Tumult.
,, IX. The Manor.
,, X. Grammar School.
,, XI. The Charities.
PREFACE.
^N writing this History, much information has been
obtained from material collected by the late
Mr. William Langford.
The Rev. W. H. Hutton, M.A., Fellow of S.
John's College, Oxford, has, with much kindness,
looked over the proof-sheets, and to him the Author
tenders his best thanks.
Thanks are also due to Canon Norris, the Rector
of Witney, for his valuable help, more especially
with regard to the Ecclesiastical History of the town.
There are many others who have contributed,
in various ways, to the production of this volume.
The Symond's M.S.S., in the possession of T. M.
Davenport, Esq., of Oxford, have been of great
service ; the Rev. W. D. Macray, of Ducklington, has
rendered valuable aid ; the Rev. C. J. Verschoyle
has also assisted in no slight degree ; while Messrs.
C. Gillett, and Leigh have helped much in matters
relating to Nonconformity in Witney.
Lastly, thanks are due to Miss Emmeline
Monteith, of Ipswich, for aid given with respect to
the illustrations.
August 30th, 1894.
INDEX.
•
PAGE.
PAGE.
Akeman Street
. .
5
Dalton family
.. 206
Alfwine
8
272
Dangerfield, Captain
.. 264
Ascent of Steeple . .
t .
55
Doomsday Book . .
.. 274
Attachment against Bishop
17
Dugdale
.. 262
Duke, tiichard
.. 209
Bateman, Henry . .
198
Batt, E. A.
197
Earl of Essex's, March
.. 272
Batt, A.
193
Edgar, Charter of
.. 8
Bayeux Cathedral
177
Edward the Confessor
.. 11
Bayliffs' Feast . .
. .
146
Emma Queen
9, 272
Bells, The
200,
153
Em's Dyke
.. 13
Bequests to Church
137
Enclosure Blots . .
.. 268
Beer
106
Excommunication
.. 167
Blanket Company
, ,
71
Blanket, Thomas a
68
Faruham Castle . .
.. 30
Blanket Makers' Arms
78
Farmour's Aisle . .
.. 184
Blois, Henry of . .
g
275
Feast Sunday
.. 49
Bolton, Miss ..237
238
1243
Fights of November 5th
6, 51
Box family
287
Fire
.. 41
Brideoak, Ralph . .
207
Forest Fair
.. 50
Briefs
173
Font, The
.. 159
Bread
112
Freind Robert
189, 209
Butchers..
114
Freind William . .
Free School
187, 210
.. 149
Canute
11
Fuller
.. 59
Chantry
189
Charter of Blanket Co.
90
Gift of Manor to Alfwine . . 124
Chancel
182
191
Gift of Church to Holy Cross 127
Church Leys
28
Gild Hall
.. 150
Ch'irchwardens' Accounts
144
Gilds
.. 251
,, Presentment;
169
Gyffard, William . .
.. 275
Church . .
176
Gunn's Hole
.. 226
,, Missal .. •
.
143
Charles I. .
2;-)?,
Harcourt, Lord
.. 268
Clarendon
261
Hemming, Stephen
.. 195
Coal found
46
Hempage
.. 273
College, The
33
Henry III
.. 22
Civil War
. ,
255
Hereford, Earl of. .
.. 27
Clock and Chimes
, .
201
Hill, Rowland
.. 228
Court Leet
101
Hoadley, Bishop . .
.. 169
Crypt, The
199
Houselyng People
.. 142
Cunningham, F. M.
193,
212
Hwiccas ..
.. 17
PAGE.
PAGE.
Interdict
20
Races
.. 50
Independents
224
Rectors
.. 202
Records of Court Leet
.. 105
Jacobite Conspiracy 265,
267
Rectory
.. 167
James II, Visit of
69
Reredos
.. 192
Jerram, Charles
212
Religious Ceremonials
Jubilee of George II I
55
Ringers Chamber . .
Rising of People in Oxford-
King John, Visit of
18
shire
Rodda, Richard . .
.. 239
Lambarde
28
Rowe, John
.. 163
Leland
31
Rotuli, Hundredorum
.. 26
Lenthall
279
Rupert, Prince
.. 293
Levellers
52
London Journeys
78
Saxon Chronicle . .
10, 11
Seven Years' War
.. 42
Machinery introduced
87
Seats in Church . .
.. 164
Manor, The
271
Smoke Farthing . .
.. 158
ilanor given to Church
13
Solemn Jousts
.. 27
Magna Chaeta . .
21
South Transept . .
.. 188
Mather, Samuel
226
Spanish Armada . ,
.. 36
Market Cross
41
Stanton, Edmond
.. 161
Mercia
6
Stage Play
.. 34
Militia, Local
56
Staple Hall
.. 32
Ministers of Independent
Steeple, The
.. 195
Chapel
230
Streamer of Blue Silk
.. 147
Ministers of Wesleyan Chape
1245
Storm
.. 240
Monastic System
200
Stigand
.. 273
Superstitions
.. 53
Name, Origin of . .
6
Survey of Edward VI
.. 140
North Transept
197
Symonds, Henry ..
.. 259
Norris, W. F.
212
Taynton
.. 3
Oelfhelm..
8
Taylor, Thomas . .
.. 228
Oliver Cromwell . . 168, 264
283
Taxation of Pope Nicholas 128
Ordeal of Fire
12
Tempest
.. 46
Organ, The
194
Tipplers ..
.. 108
Oreton, Adam de . .
279
Tolsey, The
.. 115
Oxford University
32
Townsend, Miss ..
226, 229
Townsend family . .
.. 55
Palace, Witney. ..
Parliament, Members of . .
% 30
Tournament
.. 37
24
Tradesmen's Tokens
37, 38
Parvise, The
200
Triforium, The ..
.. 196
Parish Chest
182
Pembroke, Earl of
27
Vicarage, The
.. 167
Peace declared . . 44, 57
Petition to House of Lords
65
Wakelin
.. 274
Peter de Roches .. 18, 22
276
War and Tumult . .
.. 249
Persecution
130
Wenmans, The . . '
10, 61, 79
Pigs
114
Wrrirn.'iuTomb
.. 185
Plague
165
Wenmau Chapol . . 178
180, 185
Porch
178
Wesleyans
.. 230
Poor Man's Box .. 115
152
West Window
.. 183
Precautions against Plague
117
Wessex
.. 0
Precautions against Fire
118
Whit Hunt
47, 56
Priest's Door
194
Whipping Post
. . 51
Woollen Shroud . .
.. 218
Queen Elizabeth
35
Wright, Edmund . .
.. 87
Queen Emma . . '.),
272
Wii^iit, Samuel . .
.. 198
Quakers, The
211
Writ
. . 22
Wyohwood Forest
.. 3
fltstorp of W&itnt?.
INTRODUCTION.
VHE town of Witney stands in a valley, through
which the river Windrush flows. It is bounded on
the West by long low hills, from Burford ; and on
the East by uplands, somewhat higher, which separate it
from the University and city of Oxford. The town
consists, mainly, of a street a mile in length, which,
at the South, is called the High Street ; at its other
extremity this appellation is dropped, and Bridge .Street
and West End take its place. At the Southern
extremity, as you approach from the G.W.R. station,
Witney has a most picturesque appearance. A fine
avenue of limes (planted some twenty-five years ago,
mainly through the exertions of the late Dr. Augustine
Batt), leads up to a singularly beautiful Church and
Churchyard, through which the pedestrian passes on
to a spacious green, which has, somehow or other,
escaped spoliation during the many devastating ages
HISTORY OF WITNEY.
through which the country has passed ; this presents a
verdant carpet, and serves, in some measure, to remind
us of the time such a place was a necessary adjunct
to town and village, when most people were required to
possess some knowledge of archery. The houses on
either side, although many of them modern, are in
harmony, and are built generally in such a style as to
render the scene somewhat picturesque. The Church
stands directly facing the town, its grand old Norman
doorway appearing to invite parishioners and others to
escape sometimes from a world of trouble and care
outside into its sweet quiet, where thoughts of higher
and nobler purpose than those connected with this
world may arise. Such was one design of those glorious
old builders, doubtless, who in an age which we now see
but dimly, raised this noble edifice, worked rough stones
into beautiful images, set up finely proportioned edifice
and tapering symmetrical spire ; in this, not only
erecting a building which should remain for ages
sanctified to the worship of the Most High, but which
should also be for all time a monument of their love and
reverence.
The reader will find in Witney very little of
that interesting domestic architecture which adorned the
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and which may yet be
seen in many of the neighbouring towns and villages.
It has nearly all disappeared long ago, the necessities of
a busy manufacturing town compelling the destruction
of lovely, though narrow and inconvenient, erections,
which were most unsuited to a place where life was, even
in the last century, beginning to partake of something of
INTRODUCTION.
the nature of the fast " go-a-head " existence, which most
people lead now. And yet, there can be no doubt,
that Witney, in common with other places in a more
artistic age than the present, had houses with lovely
overhanging gables and barge boards, decorated with all
the carver's skill, and, inside, splendidly worked beams
and grand fireplaces — for stone and wood were plentiful
enough ; the former existing in great quantities a few
miles away at the great quarries at Taynton, from which
place, tradition says, the stone came of which Old St.
Paul's and many of the Colleges at Oxford were built,
and, probably, all the local Churches, including Witney ;
the latter existing in great quantities in the neighbouring
forest of Wychwood. So, perhaps, we shall not be far
wrong if we picture the Witney of centuries ago,
presenting a more picturesque appearance than it does
now, though the Church was then very much as it is
to-day. The noise of the loom towards the latter end of
the fifteenth century was even at that time heard in the
streets ; the place was occupied by workmen who were
engaged in weaving, but life then went on at a much
slower pace. There was time then, in the midst of the
struggle for existence, to turn round leisurely to
contemplate the beautiful creations of the architect and
builder, more time for week-day acts of worship and
festivals. Have we improved on the habits of that
far-off age ? We have, indeed, to-day wealth which in
quantity is immeasurably superior to that possessed by
our forefathers five centuries ago ; our looms are turning
out, year by year, more and more blankets ; the
commerce of the country becomes so great that ships can
INTRODUCTION.
scarcely be built to carry it on. These things are true,
but ought Life to be made up of nothing but spinning
uncountable yards of webbing ? Is there no nobler
purpose than the collection of wealth ? No doubt in very
many matters, we have made great strides since the days
of which we have written. It may be doubted, however,
if a love for art and beauty has risen in equal proportion.
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CHAPTER I.
OTitnep in €arlp crimes*
fy|ERY little is known of Witney at the time when
the country was subject to the Roman invader,
and as the latter was never fond of low-lying situations,
favouring rather those from which he could see what
was going on around him, it is more than probable, that,
although Britons lived here, and with blue-stained skin
paraded the Windrush in their frail coracles, yet the
lordly Roman gave the swampy hollow, for such it was
then, a wide berth. The great Roman Road, Akeman
Street, passed a few miles to the west of the town, and
this would hardly have been the case if a colony of any
size had existed at Witney. Bye-roads, both British
and Roman, no doubt existed, and remained even after
the time, when the invaders came in their thousands
from across the North Sea, bent on conquering a
country more to their mind than their own sterile tracts,
but none of them appear to have entered the town,
HISTORY OF WITNEY.
because it was fortified and surrounded by a huge
earthern rampart and dyke. This refers, of course, to
the part of the town which lies South of the Windrush,
for it may well be doubted if there were not two separate
towns here in Saxon times, and certainly in a map
centuries later, two distinct towns are indicated. That
the Windrush or Wemris, as it was then called, formed
the boundary line of the two powerful kingdoms of
Mercia and Wessex admits of no doubt, and it is even
probable that the Up-tovvn and Down-town fights, which
existed not long ago on the 5th of November, were
degenerate relics of the old feuds, which at one time
prevailed between the two rival nations, who at this
place faced each other.
ORIGIN OF NAME.
England was divided in Saxon times into Counties,
Hundreds, and Tithings, the latter consisting of ten
families, sometimes more, who dwelt together, and were
responsible for each other's behaviour. Each tithing is
said to have had a Church, though if this were so, the
buildings must have been of an unpretentious nature.
Perhaps there is some truth in the statement, however,
for there is a tradition that Dorchester had at one time
40 Churches, and that Standlake and its vicinity
possessed 17. The Tithing made the parish, and ten of
these composed the Hundred ; but it is probable they
were made at random, rather than on any definite
numerical plan. In the Hundred the men of wisdom
assembled to settle all disputes, and to discuss local
matters, and the expressions the Hundred affirms, or
WITNEY IN EARLY TIMES.
the Hundred denies have come down almost to our own
times. The Saxon Witan was an assembly of the chief
men convened from contending parties, or by usage,
called together to consult on measures of defence or
government. The Saxons had the most beautiful
system of self-government the world has ever seen, and
which they brought from Germany. Each village had
its Folk Moot, which assembled in the Moot Hall, to
order the social life of the Settlement. Over these
presided Eldermen — Aldermen we call them now — and
stripes and imprisonments on delinquents were settled at
these Meetings. Each principality had its Witan, and
a larger gathering of Saxon chiefs took place sometimes
to discuss great political and religious topics. The
ordinary gemot or meeting of the Witan, was held at
some well-known place, often in an island, or the
marshes of a river, the place being further strengthened
by a wall of earth thrown all round. Witney was
doubtless one of the favoured spots, and perhaps our
forefathers, endued with more respect than we are
towards those who have the control of government,
called this the Isle of Witan, or in Saxon Witan-ige.
The names of many other towns have been conferred for
reasons more or less honourable ; but if the above
conjecture be the true derivative of the name, Witney
people may rejoice in the fact that their town owes its
name to those councils which first gained for England
the reputation of being the Mother of Parliaments.
There are other conjectures respecting the source from
which the name sprang. Some have connected it with
the name of an over-lord who resided in the swampy
8 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
hollow, and ruled over the Saxon serfs, many of whom
were generally engaged in tending their vast herds of
swine in the beechen glades of Wychwood Forest ;
others have connected it with Wemris, the Saxon name
for Windrush. The reader must select which of these
theories best suits his fancy or his judgment.
In a Charter of Edgar, dated 963, a place called
Wentanigc is mentioned, and the same name occurs
again in a Charter of Edward the Confessor. It is by no
means certain that these names stand for the place
which we now know as Witney, but it is likely enough
for the town was, probably, in Saxon times, much better
known than it is to-day. Again, the lands round
Witanige are in yet another document said to have been
given to the noble Oelfhelm ; but in 1044 this land was
once more in the King's hand, and was granted to
Alfwine, Bishop of the West Saxons.
WITNEY PALACE.
This Bishop of Winchester appears to have built a
Palace at Witney, and there can be no doubt that this
Ecclesiastical residence stood on the site, which the house,
now called the Mount, occupies. Almost all the evidences
of this have now disappeared, for the present house is
modern, or nearly so, but foundations which tell a tale of
sustaining a more pretentious building than the present,
have been discovered. Fortunately some idea of the former
beauty of this old house can be obtained from the annexed
sketch. The original drawing is amongst the Gough
prints, which are in the Bodleian Library. The
doorway of this Palace appears to have been a
magnificent semi-circular arch with massive mouldings
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WITNEY IN EARLY TIMES.
and pillars, and richly carved Capitals. That on the
left or North, had a reticulated shaft, and the other a
zigzag one. The house itself appears to have been
erected at a much later date, judging from the chimneys
and some of the windows. On each side of the house,
which may have been occupied even when the sketch
was taken in 1729, are ruins, all of which, judging from
the remains of the windows, appear to belong to the
very early Norman period ; and although at the time
when Alfwine is conjectured to have built this house,
the Norman had not obtained dominion over the
English, yet the fashions of that nation had been
introduced before 1066. As will be seen, the ruin
presents a most picturesque appearance, being partly
overgrown with brambles and other plants. Such was
the Palace to which the Bishops of Winchester were in
the habit of resorting when harassed, perhaps, with the
cares of the large diocese over whose spiritual wants
they presided. Often have their great retinues travelled
through the streets of Witney in days which have
departed long ago. Bishops in those distant times were
different, very different, to the peaceful holy men, who,
in the majority of instances now fill the seats of the
prelates of the early days of the English Church. They
were great barons, often engaged in angry controversy
on political matters, sometimes even having recourse to
the sword.
QUEEN EMMA,
The Mother of Edward the Confessor, seems to
have been in some way connected with Witney,
for her name appears on the Charter, granting the
10 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
lands to the Bishop, but what was the particular
nature of the connection, we have been unable to
determine. As this Queen's story is so closely
connected with our subject, a short sketch of her life
may not be considered here irrelevant.
Emma was the grand-daughter of that venturesome
Northman, named Rollo, who had left Germany, and by
dint of the force of arms, had settled himself in the fair
province of France, which from this circumstance has
ever since retained the name of Normandy. This
" Flower of Normandy " as she was then called, came
over to England to marry as unhappy and unheroic
a king as history mentions. The Saxon Chronicle
mentions the event as follows : —
" In the same year came the lady, Richard's
daughter, Emma Elgive (her Saxon name) hither to
land."
It was to a country torn with dissension from one
end to the other to which this fair daughter of
Normandy came. The King, whose bride she was to be
was so feeble that men have called him ever since " The
Unready. "= (without rede, i.e. Counsel) Little did the
young girl think, perhaps, as she sailed across the
English Channel, that before many years had gone
by, people of her blood and nationality, would sail
over the same sea bent on conquering the land to
which she was now bound, and having conquered it
to grind it down with iron heel for centuries. It was
at the time Emma became the bride of the " Unready,"
that the incursions of the Danes had become so
threatening, and inspired so much dread, that money
WITNEY IN EARLY TIMES. II
was paid as a temporary expedient to get rid of them.
The Queen appears to have taken some active part in
endeavouring to drive the Northmen away, as the
following extract from the Saxon Chronicle shows : —
"Anno 1003. This year was Exeter entered by
storm through the French churl Hugh, whom the Lady
{i.e. Queen Emma) had appointed her steward ; and
then the army {i.e. the Danish Army) entirely ruined the
town, and there took much booty."
Emma appears to have lived little enough with
the king. No doubt she was as much convinced of his
imbecility as were most people, and perhaps during the
dark days when the foolish king conceived the awful
thought of massacring the Danes on St. Brice's day,
she was away at one or other of her numerous castles.
Be this as it may, it is quite certain that at Islip, not far
away, her son Edward, whom men afterwards called the
Confessor, was born. And when her brave stepson,
Edmund Ironside, had mysteriously met with his death,
and cruel Canute had come and induced the Witan to
make peace with him, she, with her two sons, Edward
and Alfred, fled to her native land of Normandy. The
new ruler of England, however, as well as being cruel,
was, in many respects, an extremely sagacious man, and
one of the very first things he did on getting possession
of the throne of England was to link himself to the
fallen dynasty by marriage with Queen Emma. It is
said that Emma engaged herself in this marriage on the
understanding that if they had a son, he should succeed
Canute. If this arrangement was really made it was
never followed, for Harold, the son of the king by a
12 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
former union, succeeded his father, though Hardicanute,
Emma's son, reigned at his half-brother's death. What
part the Queen took in the Christianizing of her kingly
husband ; what share she may by her influence have had
in the great changes which Canute made in English
laws ; whether she saw that remarkable scene on the
sea-beach when the wave rolled up to the royal knees
and soaked the kingly robes — history does not say.
When the great king died, and the son of her first
husband was unexpectedly made sovereign, she appears
to have resided at Islip, and even sometimes to have
occupied Witney Palace. Then occurred the event
which connects her specially with Witney. Robert,
Archbishop of Canterbury, published a report concerning
Emma, in which he asserted that she had been unduly
intimate with the Bishop of Winchester. A Synod was
at once called to investigate the truth of the story.
Both parties are said to have denied the truth of the
scandal, and Emma is understood to have volunteered to
undergo the Ordeal of Fire. The story goes on to state
that this took place in Winchester Cathedral, and that
the Queen walked blind-fold, but unharmed, amongst
nine red-hot plough-shares. That this ordeal took place
rests on most uncertain evidence. The Saxon Chronicle
speaks of the harsh conduct of the Confessor to his
mother, but says not a word about the plough-shares,
and the whole story seems to rest on the authority of
Ralph Higden, who mentions it in his Polychronicon
(fourteenth century).
Wharton, in his History of English Poetry, speaks
of the minstrel who sang the tale of Queen Emma
WITNEY IN EARLY TIMES. 1 3
delivered from the Plough- Shares, but the whole evidence
in support of the story is quite unreliable. Most
probably even the scandal is a concoction. If there be
any truth in the statement the affair must have taken
place between 1043 and 1047, as Edward ascended the
throne in the first named year, and Alfwine died in
the latter. Supposing Emma to have been twenty years
of age when she married the Unready, she would have
been at the time the scandal arose over sixty years of
age. The story goes on to state that in commemoration
of her happy escape she gave nine manors to the Church
of Winchester, one for each of the Plough-shares.
Alfwine also gave nine manors of his own property, and
King Edward gave three. Those the Queen gave are
in the Latin record named as follows : —
Brandesbury, Beyefield, Fyffhide, Hoghtone,
Wychelneryshe, Ivyngelio, Wycombe, Weregrays,
Halylyne. The Bishop gave Stoneham, East and
West Meone, Hentone, Wytneye, Yelynge, Mylbroke,
Polhamptone, Hodyngstone. The King gave Portland,
Wykhelewelle and Waymuthe.
So it would appear that the patronage of Witney
has belonged to the Church for nearly 900 Years.
em's dykk.
A small stream, which flows through the meadows
round Witney, is called to this day Em's Ditch, or Dyke.
And, of course, diligent antiquarians have not been
wanting who have connected this stream with the name
of the Flower of Normandy. In the charter of Edward
the Confessor granting the lands to Bishop Alfwine, a
14 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
place is mentioned called the New Ditch, and it is
possible that this notice may refer to the stream under
discussion. There appears to be no real reason, however,
for connecting the Queen's name with this ditch, except
the supposition that Em is a contraction of Emma. A
far less fanciful, and probably more correct etymology is
Hani's Ditch, or drain of the hams, i.e. water meadows.
MINT TOWN.
Witney seems to have been a mint town even in
Saxon times, its name appearing first upon a penny of
Harold II. It is again discovered upon a coin of
William I, (or II) but no money has been found of a
later date. It is said by those who have made ancient
coinage a study, that it is impossible to distinguish the
coins of the time of the Conqueror from those of the
reign of his " red son," but it is quite possible that both
may have coined money at Witney. We know that the
Conqueror often visited Langley in Wychwood Forest,
not far away, for the purpose of indulging in hunting,
and he doubtless on these occasions, visited the town,
and conferred certain privileges on it., or it is easy to
suppose that the long continued residence of the
Bishops of Winchester would be sufficient to account for
the conferring of such an honour on this place.
The foregoing is all that is certainly known of
Witney in what we have called Early or Saxon Times
but there will be doubtless those, who with picturesque
imagination will fill in the ellipses, which must
necessarily occur in a History, where the materials are
none too plentiful. Well served, we like to think, was
WITNEY IN MEDIAEVAL TIMES. 1 5
the Saxon Church, which probably stood on the site of
the present one. Ploughmen were busy in the field
around, dressed in the smock frock, which is just
beginning to die out of memory ; shepherds were
tending their herds on the rich grass land of the
Windrush Valley ; Queen Emma and her Ladies clad in
graceful mantles, ornamented with trinkets of various
kinds, as was the custom, culled the roses and
lilies in the Palace Garden ; no doubt, the streets of the
town were made lively with the merry laughter of those
who were setting out for a day's hawking in the Forest
and its neighbourhood ; without question that drinking of
metheclin, or mead went on, which gained for our Saxon
forefathers an unenviable reputation ; doubtless, too, the
Saxon Ladies plied their needles busily enough in
working that tapestry, which was known and prized all
over Europe.
Witney was not in those days an unhappy place.
It is true, there were many things which existed, such
as slavery of some kind or other, on which we have
made great improvement, but on the whole, so far as
government is concerned, it may be doubted, whether
with all our boasted civilization, we stand in a better
position than did our Saxon forefathers at Witney in
Early Times.
-*Z~X-X~Zf
CHAPTER II.
ttnep in JEetiteebal fttmes-
^HE conquest of England by the Normans, made,
in all probability, very little difference to Witney.
There was here no powerful Saxon Noble to be deposed,
for the manor belonged then to the Bishop of
Winchester, and although the victorious Frenchmen did
not allow anything connected with a prior possession of
the land to trouble them very much, if at all, yet in
matters ecclesiastical none can be found throughout the
annals of History more scrupulous than they. Naturally
religious, and not a little superstitious, all the possessions
of the Church were left absolutely untouched by the new
powers, and, when to this is added the fact that many
of the Bishops of Winchester in those times were
themselves Normans, and more than one intimately
connected with the reigning family, it will be seen that
Witney was in a peculiar fortunate position.
Of the town in these times we know nothing,
but one or two things it is safe to conjecture* There can
WITNEY IN MEDLEVAL TIMES. 1 7
be no doubt from the fact of the Bishops of Winchester
possessing a Palace here, that Witney people had more
opportunities of observing the ways of the Court than
had most of the neighbouring places. The various
sovereigns and notabilities of all kinds, who came as
visitors, brought with them, we may be sure, followers
full of news of what was going on in the great world
outside, and it is only natural to suppose that from
contact with them the Witney people possessed many
advantages over their neighbours.
A new town, doubtless, arose in early Norman times
on the North side of the river, and it is more than likely
that people of a different tribe to those in the up-town
occupied it. They were, in all probability, men of the
wood — Hwiccas — the Saxon tribe which first inhabited
and gave a name to Wychwood Forest, which then
extended to the banks of the river Windrush. No
doubt in early Norman times these suffered from the
odious Forest Laws, which was one of the most
disagreeable effects, so far as the Saxons were concerned,
of the Norman Conquest. Henry II had afforested most
of the manors on the South side of the river, and though
the people who lived there were under the jurisdiction
of the Bishop of Winchester, it is easy to see that
sometimes the officers of the King, and those of the
Bishop would come into collision. So, we find, there
was an attachment recorded against the Bishop of
Winchester tor taking venison and grubbing in the
King's woods and chases. This was in the reign of
Edward I. The Bishop, however, pleaded that the King
had granted a charter, and his Majesty remembering
1 8 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
this exonerated him from the charge — (Closed Rolls).
The right of chase, which seems so ancient as to date
back even to British times, was also kept up whether
the Bishop was present or not. It is probable,
however, that in Plantagenet times the existence of
two powers, one ecclesiastical and the other secular, led
to more than one feud in Witney, or in the
neighbourhood.
KING JOHN AT WITNEY.
As was stated in the previous chapter, it is more
than likely that most of the Norman Kings stayed at
Witney, though of this there is no certain record ; but
there can be no possible doubt that the town was visited
more than once by King John. In the Itinerary of that
King, prefixed to the printed volume from which our
extracts are taken, it appears he was at Witney at the
following ascertained dates : —
June 1 2th and 13th ... ... 1207
Jany. 1 8th and March 13th ... 1209
Nov. 7th and 8th 12 13
Nov. 27th 1214
As may be seen on reference to the chapter dealing
with the Lords of the Manor, the Bishop of Winchester,
Peter des Roches, occupied a position of some
importance at this time in the land, and it was
probably on a visit to the Bishop here that the man, who
has the unenviable reputation of being the worst King
that ever sat on the throne of England, came. What
plottings took place here antagonistic to the liberties
of the people of England we do not know ; the
WITNEY IN MEDIAEVAL TIMES. 1 9
visits of John were, however, made just at the
time when the conflict between liberty and tyranny
was at its very height ; at a period, too, when the King
was fearful and suspicious of everyone, and remained
rarely more than a night or two in any one house. The
old record states that the King had "x palfreys and iii
garcones " at Witney for his use ; and there is also
mention of a discharged account for wine, which it is
satisfactory to learn was actually discharged — contrary
to the Monarch's usual custom. Rut while the old
chronicler is most minute in describing much that is
interesting to him and his contemporaries with respect
to such matters as " palfreys and garcones," he is entirely
dumb as to what would be of supreme interest to us.
Was the Sovereign when he resided at Witney such a one
as he has been conjectured ? — "A blustering, dissipated,
human figure, with a kind of blackguard quality air, in
cramoisy velvet, or other uncertain texture, uncertain
cut, with much plumage and fringing ; amid numerous
other human figures of the like ; riding abroad with
hawks; talking noisy nonsense?" — We cannot say.
What we do know i> that he was engaged in a quarrel
with the Pope at the period of his first visit, with respect
to the appointment of an Archbishop of Canterbury, and
that for a time the tyrant King held out, and made the
unhappy English drink the cup of sorrow to its bitterest
dregs, on account of the Interdict which the Pope hurled
against England. Witney Church, as all other Churches
in the land, was closed ; the effigy of Saint and Martyr,
viewed at that time with so much awe and reverence,
was draped in black, and the Holy Eucharist could be
20 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
administered only to the dying. It was unquestionably
the greatest punishment which, in that age, could be
inflicted. Many were the evils from which people
suffered in those days, which could not be prevented ;
but Famine might come, War and Pestilence might
ravage the land ; these, to a superstitious people, were
almost tolerable compared with an Interdict which
seemed to shut them off from all possible chance and
hope of Heaven. So the dreadful trial to the whole
nation went on for years. The doors of Witney Church,
and all other Churches, were closed when John visited
the place again in 1209, and the English peasantry were
in the lowest depths of misery. The King was hated by
all, and he was conscious of this hatred. Vainly did he
try to ingratiate himself with his subjects ; he remitted
the taxes which had, till this time, been enacted on
account of the Forests, hoping to win their favour. But
he was, at this time, rightly connected with the taking
away of privileges which were then, and should be now,
the most precious of the inheritance of man. He trusted
no man, and no man trusted him. In the four years,
however, which intervened between his first and fourth
visit to Witney, great changes had taken place ; for the
Pope had, in the meantime, sent the most deadly shaft
from his spiritual quiver ; he declared the throne of
England vacant, and called upon Philip of France to
expel John from his kingdom. This brought the coward
to his knees, and just before he visited Witney in 1213,
he had, in Dover Cathedral, laid his crown in the dust,
and, with grovelling tears, promised faithful obedience to
the Pope, together with a yearly sum of money.
WITNEY IN MEDIAEVAL TIMES. H
WITNEY AND MAGNA CHARTA.
Then came an event which may be faithfully described
as the most important which has ever taken place at
Witney. The English people were filled, as time went
on, with a stronger and fiercer discontent. Distinctions
of race were beginning to die out, too, and Norman
and Saxon united themselves in a common cause.
Moreover, a new class was then beginning to spring up ;
for many of the oldest Norman families had ruined
themselves in the Crusades, and their estates were
acquired by those, who at Witney and other places, had
made themselves rich, either as manufacturers, or as
agriculturists. They had seen how easy it was to subdue
the King ; they had witnessed his cowardly submission
to the Pope, and they were prepared to make an attempt
to secure more freedom than they had hitherto enjoyed.
So, headed by Stephen Langton, an Englishman, but
Archbishop of Canterbury, (an event unusual enough in
those days) ; the barons, and those associated with him,
swore not to rest till they had secured the object in view.
As will be imagined, many were the times, and dishonest
were the means, which the King took to evade them ;
sometimes pretending he was ready and willing to
execute their wishes, at other times laughing at their
demands as being ridiculous. He was at Witney in the
dark and gloomy days of November, in 1213, and from
his Palace at Witney, he summoned a quasi Parliament
at Oxford, apparently to discuss the Articles, which
afterwards expanded into Magna Charta. No records
remain of what took place at Oxford, and il is doubtful
if that assembly ever met to any purpose, as it is more
22 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
than likely the King changed his mind directly the writs
were issued ; but what took place at Witney is worthy
of remembrance.
// was the first writ in which four discreet men
(commoner;) of the county were summoned to consult
in the National Assembly. In the Shire Moot four men
and the Reeve (Shire-reeve —.Sheriff) had represented
the township from time immemorial ; now four men and
the Sheriff represent the Shire in the National Council.
The following is a copy of the Writ : — ■
" Rex, vicecomiti Oxon., Salutem. Paecipimus tibi
quod omnes milites Baillivse tuae qui summoniti fuerant
esse apud Oxon ad Nos a die omnium sanctorum in xii
dies venire facias cum armis suis ; corpora vero Baronium
sine armis similiter ; et quartuor discretos homines de
comitatu, tuo illuc venire facias ad nos ad eundem
terminem ad loquendum nobis cum de negotiis regni
nostri. Teste meipso apud Wytten (eyam) vii die
Novembris.
(Dorso) Eodem Modo Scribitas omnibus viceomitibus."
So, by chance, Witney has played a not unimportant
part with regard to the foundation of our liberties in
Magna C/iarta. The Meeting at Oxford which this
writ summoned may, or may not, have been held, but
the issuing of such a document at all was a sure
indication that freedom was slowly, but surely, making
its way, and that the power of a dissolute and
ill-conditioned, bloodthirsty tyrant was beginning to fall.
HENRY III.
To Witney, too, came Henry III, when a boy of
fourteen years. Peter des Roches, the Bishop of
WITNEY IN MEDIAEVAL TIMES. 23
Winchester, to whom reference has before been made,
had the care of the King's person during a considerable
period of his boyhood, but of this, and of other matters
connected with England at this time, fuller particulars
may be gleaned, as has been before stated, in the chapter
on the Manor. At the time the young King came to
Witney, the strife between Peter des Roches and those
who were averse to foreign influence was at its very
height ; but of course the King, though he appears to
have been very much under the Bishop's influence, was
too young to play any important part. The details
connected with this visit are very meagre, though they
throw a side light, as it were, on the relations which
existed between the Bishop and his pupil. The old
Chronicler states that the King expended " xx pounds
upon his wardrobe during his visit to Peter des Roches
at Wittenage in 122 1," and he further states that the
Bishop granted the King a loan of " L Marks, to be
repaid out of the Exchequer." This we may regard as a
little pocket money, which was allowed the Royal youth
at this time, who appears to have been kept, as all boys,
Royal or otherwise, should be, with a limited supply
of cash.
But the habit of asking for money seems to have
clung to the King, for not many years after we find
the same sovereign asking his Parliament for money
to carry on the war with France. His ancestors had
been used to take it, without going through the modern
performance of asking the owners' leave ; which fact was
an important and portentous one in the History "I
England. Again, why should Henry, or the Bishop who
24 HISTORY OP WITNEY.
acted for him, spend such a sum — equal, at least, to £2^0
of our money — on his wardrobe at Witney? Is this an
indication that the Valley of the Windrush was, even
then, celebrated for the making of woollen cloths ? It
may be so ; certainly the manufacture carried on may
not have been large, but the making of some cloth or
other must have been necessarily going on in England
somewhere or other at this time, and there appears no
reason against supposing that it was on account of the
opportunities which presented themselves that Henry
III replenished his wardrobe here.
PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATIVES.
Events in England shortly after this — thanks to the
good offices of Sir Simon the Righteous — proceeded
rapidly in the direction of progress, and it was not many
years after the tyrannical and crafty Bishop of Winchester
disappeared from the scene that the Sheriff of Berks and
Oxford received a writ directing him to send two
burgesses from each city and borough to meet the Lords
in Parliament at Westminster, " to deliberate concerning
diverse matters touching our Kingdom of England, and
also the establishment of our land of Scotia." A writ
was sent to " Witteneye," (as the name was then spelt),
as well as to other places ; and for some years, and in
several Parliaments the town was represented. The
following appear to have been the names of the
members : —
EDWARD I.
33. Parliament at Westminster. — John le Haston.
Will Rawlyn.
WITXKY IX MEDIEVAL TIMES. '2<
34. Parliament at Westminster. — Walter Rawlin,
(returned only)
EDWARD 11.
34. Parliament at Northampton. — Adam de Pyry.
Will Daveneys.
4-
5. Parliament. — Ballivi nullum responsutn.
8. Parliament at Westminster. — John de Standlake.
John Savage.
9. Parliament at Westminster. — Will Forest.
Henry Plummer.
EDWARD III.
4. Parliament at Westminster. — Thos. de Miniside.
John Wellow.
Some surprise may be expressed at the fact that
only one burgess was sent to the second Parliament, to
which the Witney people had the opportunity of
sending two members. It may be doubted, however
whether the sending of a representative to the National
Council really was looked upon as a privilege then.
Very different was the part, which was taken by the
representatives of the people in those days, to the
honourable office which our modern Members of
Parliament fill. They were admitted, at first, on
sufferance, and were called together only for the purpose
of voting sums of money. This, they were expected to
do in a very humble and perfectly dumb manner ;
moreover, these members had to be paid, and since
there was, as Parliament was then constituted, no means
of obtaining redress for any grievance, and indeed no
compensating advantage whatever, it is easy to
understand that the good people of the town, if the
2& HISTORY OF WITNEY.
opportunity presented itself, allowed what was then a
doubtful privilege to pass by altogether.
We know nothing whatever of the men who
represented Witney in Parliament. They may have
been, in the first instance, those who resided in the
town, and perhaps have become wealthy in the woollen
manufacture. Walter Rawlyn, seems to have been a
man of some degree of importance, for when in the next
year after the sending of the burgesses, knights were
summoned from the County, he was one of those
selected. John de Standlake may have been a person
of consideration, at the little village, whose name he
bore. If so, it would appear to imply that the men
selected by the town, were not in all cases bona fida
burgesses ; indeed it is reasonable to conjecture that
the townsmen, as a body, took very little interest in the
matter at all, — members had to be sent willy-nilly, but
as these members could avowedly do them no good,
what did it matter who went to Westminster ?
ROTULI HUNDREDORUM.
Edward I caused a survey to be made of all the
Counties, and Hundreds, and the several rolls which
contained the Report of this survey, are called Rotuli
Hundredoriim. The original document of this
inquisition, so far as it relates to Witney, may be found
in the Record Chest of the Town, of which the following
is a Copy : —
" The jurors find that the Bishop (Nicholas Ely) holds the Manor
and the Fishery of the River. There is a wealthy market on
Thursdays, and two Fairs, — on the day of the Ascension, and on St.
Leonard's day."
* #i Witney in medieval times. 27
TOURNAMENT.
Few and scanty are the details which the jurors give
by which we can judge anything whatever, regarding
the Witney of the early Plantagenet times, but there
can be little doubt they were palmy ones ; the Bishop
must have brought many and noble visitors to his Court,
and though of this, there is no direct evidence, the
woollen trade flourished for a reason, which will be given
in Chapter 4.
Games, from the Courtly Tournament to the humble
Morris dance, took place, we may be sure, and once
Witney was the scene of what was, doubtless, a very
imposing ceremonial. Here an old Chronicler tells us,
" did Aylmar, Earl of Pembroke, from his castle, at
Bampton, near by, meet Humphrey de Bohum, Earl of
Hereford, in " solemn jousts."
Both of the above noblemen played no unimportant
part in the unhappy times, through which the country
was then passing. " Joseph the Jew," was the nickname
which that overbearing Gascon youth, — Piers Gaveston,
— saw fit to bestow on the former, on account of his long
pale visage, and as the Jews were at that time regarded
with much disgust, it is easy to understand how such
disrespectful conduct roused the spirits of men in time,
and eventually caused them to strike off the vicious
foreigner's head at Blacklow Hill.
What has been called "Solemn jousts," might
perhaps be more correctly termed " simple jousts."
This was merely the shock of two knights, who,
galloping towards one another with levelled spears,
sought cither to unseat his antagonist, or to splinter his
28 HISTORY OK WITNEY.
lance on shield, or helmet. The scene of this pageant
may have been the grounds, which then surrounded the
Bishop's Palace, and very likely indeed, what we now
call " Church Leys," would be the spot. If this be so,
we must leave the scene to the reader's fancy. The
knights in full armour, holding spear and lance with
different colours attached to them ; the tents and
scaffolding, where were seated the most powerful, and
the most beautiful in the neighbourhood ; the grand old
Church, in the back ground, with the stately Palace of
the Bishop ; the solemn silence as the victor approaches
the Queen of the Feast, while she decorates him with
the meed of his achievements, — these scenes will
doubtless occur to the picturesque reader, and he must
clothe some such a scene as his fancy directs. There is
no reason, however, why this pageant may not have
taken place at Witney Park, which was on the High
road, leading to Burford. Here the Wenmans resided.
The present house, which stands on the site of a much
larger, and more pretentious edifice, has few evidences
of its associations with a more important part, but the
uneven nature of the ground and other relics, serve to
show that long ago a moat ran round it.
RELIGIOUS CEREMONIALS,
We are sure, took place at Witney, and often has
the grand old Church looked down on many a fair
and gay procession, as it passed in and out of its
Norman gateway. This is not a conjecture at all, for
we get a curious insight into a certain ceremonial, from
the pen of that curious old writer, Lambarde. He
says : —
WITNEY IN MEDIAEVAL TIMES. 29
" Wytney. A large parish, part of Wichewod
Forest, in Oxfordshire, as by the Perambulation, shal
hereafter (God willinge) appeare. In the days of
ceremonial religion, they used in Wytney, to set forthe
yearly, in manner of a Shew or Enterlude, the
resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Chryste, partly of
purpose, to draw together some concourse of people that
might spend their money in the towne, but chieflie to
allure by pleasant spectacle, the comon sort, to a likinge
of Popish Mammetrie ; for the which purpose, and the
more largely, thereby to exhibite to the eye, the hole
action of the resurrection, the priests garnished out
certain small puppets, representinge the persons of
Christe, the Watchman, Marie, and others, amongst
which, one bare the part of a waking watchman, who
(espyinge Christe to arise) made a continual noyce, like
the sound that is caused by the meetinge of two styckes,
and was thereof commonly called Jack Snacker, of
Wytney."
Lambarde then proceeds to state that he had seen
a representation of the coming of the Holy Ghost in
" Poules Church," which is now commonly called .St.
Paul's Cathedral, and which representation was in some
respects similar to the one at Witney. But Lambarde
wrote in 1601, nearly -o years after the time when such
eeremonials were common enough, and the nation
during this time had in some matters, gone from one
extreme to another. It was not half a century before
this, that to utter such words as old Lambarde used,
would have meant, in all probability, something
exceedingly unpleasant for the author. Had not
30 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
another book besides Lambarde's been written within
the time mentioned, by the sovereign of the land too, in
which he had assailed with ingenuity, and some amount of
success, a German theologian who had ventured to
express opinions, which were destined to turn religious
matters topsy-turvy.? What the royal author would
have thought of such an expression as " Popish
Mammetrie " in these days, is a question. But the
mention of such a subject at all, by Lambarde, is a
distinct proof of the importance of the ceremonial
which took place at Witney. This is all we know
respecting it. Whether it was held on the Green, in
front of the Church, or in the spacious meadows at the
back of it ; whether this ceremonial owed its origin to
the action of one of the Bishops of Winchester, when
residing here, are questions which will naturally arise,
but which the reader must decide, as he may prefer.
It is more than likely that Witney Palace ceased to
be an ecclesiastical residence after the 14th century.
The times were stormy, and for many years men knew
not where to dwell for safety. The Palace here, though
in some measure, no doubt, protected, was yet most
unsuitable for withstanding a siege of any severity, and
.it is more than probable that from the commencement
of the Wars of the Roses, Witney Palace ceased to be a
residence of the prelates of Winchester.
They discovered doubtless, the superior advantages
such a well fortified stronghold as Farnham Castle
possessed over the Palace of Witney, which was not
built for strength arid security in turbulent days. We
have no knowledge with regard to those who may have
WITNEY IN MEDLEVAL TIMES. 3 1
lived here during the centuries which elapsed, till the
Palace was destroyed. No doubt, however, there were
many of the wealthy traders of the town, who were only
too pleased to inhabit a place with some historical
associations, and which was at the same time fairly
commodious. When the Palace finally disappeared, is
also a matter of doubt. The sketch of it, a reduced copy
of which appears in this book, was taken in 1729-30. It
was then in ruins, but the story of so important a relic,
and many particulars respecting it, would not have to
pass through many hands in order to come down to a
period of 50 years ago, and yet all notion of it appears to
have been almost completely lost !
Another writer, by name LELAND, gives us a
singularly meagre account of Witney, as it was in 1 5 ;o.
He says : —
" There is in those quarters (the wolds of
Gloucestershire) a village called Wynderush, and so is
the river of Whitney commonly called," and in another
part, " Thens (from Newbridge) 4 myles or more to
Whiteney, where is a market, and a fayre Church with
a goodly pyramid of stone."
Yes, Leland ! this we know, we can see it now in all
its beautiful symmetry, which puzzles our modern
architects, no little, but why not tell us of things which
we are so anxious to know ? In what state was the
woollen manufacture ? In what condition was the Palace,
and who lived there ? What was the population when
you were here, three centuries ago? But Leland is
silent ; even as those who live in time as distant as we
are from those of Leland will deem us.
32 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
OXFORD UNIVERSITY AND WITNEY.
But there is another matter not without interest to
Witney people, and which Lambarde mentions in
another part of his book in writing on the University of
Oxford. After mentioning several Colleges and Halls
which had no endowment, he says : —
" There was sometyme a House of Learninge, called
Staple Hall, but wheare it stoode I have not by hereto
learned."
Walter Stapledon Bishop Exon, in the time of Edward
III, founded Stapledon Hall in 131 6 ; this was afterwards
called Exeter College. May not this have been, by
corruption, the origin of the Staple Hall of which
Lambarde mentions the traditionary existence ? And is it
not possible that the Staple Hall at Witney derives its
name from some connection with this old foundation ?
whether this be so or no, it is quite certain that in the
Middle Ages, Witney was closely allied to the University.
There was no greater anxiety to the Authorities at
Oxford in those days, than that which was associated
with that terribly ravenous destroyer of the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries — the Plague. Frequently the
Pestilence had dispersed the students to their several
homes, an event which, in our days, would be no
extraordinary matter, and one perhaps not attended with
much inconvenience, but which, in times when locomotion
was difficult, and many students were in the habit of not
leaving the University from one year's end to another,
could be regarded as nothing less than a dire calamity.
With the Plague continually visiting Oxford, means
were taken to prevent its advent from becoming more
WITNEY IN MEDLEVAL TIMES. 33
harmful than was necessary, and to this end sanitoriums
were provided in many of the adjoining towns. Witney
had certainly one, and when we consider its close
proximity to the University, we may feel warranted in
hazarding the conjecture that there were more. The
house, which was certainly a Sanitorium, is situated on
Church Green, and although it has been, in some
measure, modernised, and consequently spoilt, it is easy to
trace on its doorway and in its great beams the work of
the 1 6th century. It is said that a Chapel existed in some
part till a few years ago ; if this were so, it has completely
disappeared. That a house of this nature existed at
Witney is conclusively proved by the following extract
from a M.S. in the Bodleian Library, dated 171 8 : —
" Here, at Witney, is an old house, formerly a college,
designed as a retreat for the fellows at Merton College
in case of a plague."
Here, then, in the Middle Ages, did the students
and others of the University of Oxford assemble when
they were in dread of the Plague ; and Witney was
rendered more picturesque still by the sight of the
members parading the streets in cap and gown. What
other events took place here in connection with the
students, history says nothing, though it is not at all
unlikely that an imaginative mind will be able to fancy
several matters taking place which arc now the exclusive
privilege of Universities. The building at Witney was
generally spoken of, till within the last fifty years, as
" The College."
An event of some importance took place here,
which, although it does not belong to the Middle Ages,
34 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
shall yet find a place in this chapter, because it appears to
partake more of the ignorance of those times than of
a later era.
A REMARKABLE ACCIDENT.
It was in the 17th century that an accident occurred
at Witney, which was, in itself, remarkable, and which
was rendered still more remarkable through the
Puritanical misrepresentations, which were principally
set forth by John Rowe, of the University of Oxford,
" lecturer " in the town of Witney. He published an
account of the occurrence and called it "Tragi-comaedia,"
being " a brief relation of the strange and wonderful
hand of God, discovered at Witney in the comedy acted
there February 3rd, where there were some slaine, many
hurt, with severale other remarkable passages, together
with what was preached in three sermons on that
occasion from Rom. i. 18, which may serve as some
check to the growing Atheisme of the present age,
•1652."
We have progressed, and rightly too, since the days
when Mr. Rowe thought it his duty to publish his
incoherent ravings ; but at the time they were written,
it is said they had much influence, and were actually
successful in causing the suppression of many plays of the
period. The play presented on this occasion was
entitled " Mucedoris, the King's sonne of Valentia and
Amandie, the King's daughter of Arragon ; with the
merry conceits of Mouse, &c." All the actors were
countrymen, and came from Stanton Harcourt, not far
away. Their acting, and the whole affair, was probably of
the rudest description. Poor ploughmen, who had in the
WITNEY IN MEDIEVAL TIMES. 35
seclusion of their own village earned a reputation amongst
their fellows, and who hoped by performing before a larger
audience at Witney to increase their fame, and, at the
same time to gain a pecuniary reward. They were
denied the use of the Town Hall, but this, in the time of
the Commonwealth, when men were expected to look
sour and vinegary was no remarkable matter, indeed,
the performing of the play at all at this period is
astounding in the highest degree. The actors then
secured the " White Hart," an Inn which stood at that
time in the Market Place, and which has been rendered
more interesting from the statement having been made
that it contained a tapestried room, once occupied by
Queen Elizabeth. There is no authentic record of the
visit of this Queen to Witney, though it is more than
likely that she came to the town. She was frequently at
her hunting lodge at Langley, not far away in Wychwocd
Forest, and it is perfectly certain that she visited
the town of Burford. What more likely than thai
the good Queen honoured Witney in a similar manner ?
Here, at the ancient hostelry already mentioned, in a
large apartment which was ordinarily used for drying
malt, did the clowns propose to give their entertainment
and at 7 o'clock at night the drum beat, and the trumpet
sounded to tell the good people of Witney that all was
ready. The phi)- had proceeded for an hour and a half,
when one of the huge beams, which supported the room
unaccustomed to the unusual weight, gave way ; tl
flooring gradually sunk, and many of the audience were
precipitated into a lower room. Then for a short time
an awful silence ensued, which was soon broken by the
36 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
groans of those who had received contusions. Five
people were killed and a large number injured.
This accident, as may be supposed, created much
excitement for miles around. We may certainly take no
notice of Mr. Rowe, and his foolish and bigoted ravings,
for the only lesson, such an occurrence teaches, is, that
care should be taken in selecting rooms where large
audiences are likely to assemble.
This is all that can be gleaned after a diligent search,
of Witney, in Mediaeval Times. It was probably, though,
a very prosperous place. It suffered in no respect from
the Wars of the Roses, or any other of the calamities
which came upon the nation in those times. There
were troubles and anxieties then, as now, matters which
were well-known to demand care and thought ; others
unknown, but which if known, would have occasioned
deep anxiety, such for instance as that connected with
the Armada, for Philip of Spain is said to have given
orders to his officers, that when they had conquered
England, special attention should be bestowed on
Wychwood Forest, on account of the magnificent oak
which was in a great measure obtained from there, for
building purposes in the Naval dockyards. Poor King !
His is not the only example which History affords " of
striking the metal too soon," but it was a fortunate
matter for the peace of mind of the people of Witney,
that they were unaware of the special attention which,
Philip proposed to give the country around them, still
more fortunate that " God blew with his wind," and
scattered the Spaniard's Fleet.
CHAPTER III.
Miitncp m Eater funes*
'HE number of Tradesmen's Tokens which were issued
at Witney, and which were so general throughout
the country in the 1 7th century, is so unusually large —
having regard to the population — that there need be no
hesitation in assuming that the trade of the town was, at
this period, in a wonderfully prosperous condition. Nor
is this surprising, for although Witney did not absolutely
escape the Civil War and some minor disturbances, yet
the town, so far as can be ascertained, suffered 1<
owing to a combination of fortuitous circumstances, than
did most other places which were situated near Oxford,
which city was the centre of operations, in a great
measure, when Charles I began to pull one way, and the
English people, by the eternal law of freedom, began to
pull in an opposite direction.
38 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
It has been ascertained that the following were
issued from Witney : —
0.= Obverse. R.zz. Reverse. The mark — signifies
that what follows is in the field, or central part, of the
token.
O. Richard Ashfield.
R. of Witney.— a Fleece. R. A. M. \.
O. Thomas Brice of — a shuttle.
R. Wittney, his halfpenny — T.J.B. \.
O. William Chamberlain — His halfpenny.
R. in Witney, 1666— W.J.C. \.
O. Thomas Collier in — a fleece.
R. Wittny. Clothier.— T.C. \.
O. Richard Dutton of— His Halfpenny R.D.
R. Witney Clothier. — Clothmaker's Arms \.
O. Thomas Dutton — a merchant's mark.
R. In Wittney — a woolpack \.
O. William Titchett — His Halfpenny.
R. of Witney \ 1671— W.E.F.
0. John Gardner in Witney — Two Shuttles.
R. His Halfe-peny 1669. J.E.G. \
O. Thomas Gregory Chandler — the Tallow Chandler's
arms.
R. In Witney 1664. T.J.G. \
O. Leonard Goode. — L.J.G.
R. of Witney 1657 — The Baker's Arms. \
O. William Hearn at the — A Swan.
R. White Swan in Witney— W.J.H. \
O. William Hearne at ye — a Swan.
R. Swan in Witney— W.J.H. 1668. \
O. Andrew Holloway — a hand holding a glove.
R. Of Witney, Clothyer — A.H. 1659.
O. Jo. Jordan, of Witney — a merchant's mark. \.
R. In the County Oxon. — J.G.I.
WITNEY IN LATER TIMES.
O. Peter Katte at the 3 — three leopard's faces.
R. Libbets Heads in Witney — his halfpenny, 1670. \.
O. Johne Palmer— a woolpack.
R. In Witney, 1656— J. A.P. \
O. William and Mary— W.N.S.
R. Sanders, in Witney — Their halfpeny. \.
O. Thomas Ward at ye — the Tallowchandler's arms.
R. In Witney, 1668 — his halfpeny. \.
O. Ralph Werge — The Mercer's Arms.
R. of Witney, 1653— R.M.W. \.
O. Andrew White of— A.M.W.
R. of Witney, Senior, 1667 — his halfpeny. \.
Robert Willy, Senior — his halfpeny. \.
O. John Young — a man making candles.
R. of Witney, 1 6 5 5— J. A. Y. \.
Witney looked at this period, no doubt, much as
other places, — gay and resplendent, with innumerable
painted signs, which hung from well-nigh every
tradesman's house. An examination of the list of tokens
given above, will show the reader the many signs which
were customarily used, and when to these are added
those which are not given, but which, in all probability
existed, such as the Blue Boar, Golden Key, Saracen's
Head, &c ; it will be allowed that the scene which
Witney in common with other places, afforded, although
picturesque in some respects, must have been in a
measure, bewildering enough. In those days, an
unsavoury kennel ran down on each side of the road in
Witney High Street, from the foot of the Hill to as far
as where the We^lcvan Chapel now is ; this still existed
in [821, but :it thi period the kerb was laid down, and
footpaths were formed. Witney people at tin'., lime
behind their counters, and in other place- ol business,
4$ HISTORY OK WITNEY.
pursued the even tenor of their way, no doubt, leading
an essentually busy and sober life, troubling little,
perhaps, about the mighty changes which were going on
outside, and unconsciously but surely, laying the
foundations of that commerce, which is now the envy of
all other nations.
The History of Witney for a period of ioo years,
dating from the close of the Civil War is, however,
singularly meagre, and there is very little indeed, except
the tokens before given, to help us to form much idea of
the place in those days. There was the usual excitement
at Election Times, as now, only it was probably of -a
rougher, and it may be of a more immoral character,
than what we experience in later times.
THE WEN'MANS,
Who lived at Caswell House, near Witney, and who
were closely connected with the woollen manufacture
(as may be seen by referring to Chapter 4) appear to
have acted as representatives for the County, through
many generations, as the following extracts will show : —
1555. Sir Thomas Wenman, Knight, M.P., for County.
1597. Sir William Wenman, Knight M.P., for County.
1620. Sir Richard Wenman, Knight, M.P., for County.
1626. Sir Thomas Wenman, Knight, M.P., for County.
162.8-40, Sir Francis Wenman, Knight, M.P.,for County.
1640-53, (Long Pari) Thos. Visct. Wenman, M.P., for
County.
1660 Visct. Wenman, Sir Thos. Wenman, Kniffht,
M.P., for County.
1671. Sir Francis Wenman, Knight, M.P., for County.
>
z
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OQ
WITNEY IN LATER TIMES. 41
1754. Visct. Parker, — Sir Edward Turner, M.P., for
County.
The last mentioned were Whigs, called the Yellows
or the New Interest ; they were supported by the Duke
of Marlborough, Earl Harcourt, Earl Macclesfield, and
other local magnates. The opposing parties were
Viscount Wenman, and Sir James Dashwood, called the
Blue or the Old Interest. It is said that owing to some
dispute, all four were returned in 1754, Dut tnat tne
House of Commons declared the Whigs elected. After
this period Viscount Wenman appears to have
represented the County in 1768, '74, '79, '80, '82, '84.
As the Wenmans were so closely connected with Witney
the various scenes which took place on the occasion of
the several elections at this town, where they would
have many partisans, must be left to the imagination.
In 1734 a calamity of a rather serious nature
occurred at Witney. A fire broke out in a tallow
chandler's shop, and before it could be subdued, 30
houses were completely destroyed.
MARKET CROSS.
The Market Cross, or as it is sometimes called, the
Butter Cross, which is a low building standing on round
pillars, supposed by some to be of great antiquity, is
really a somewhat modern structure, for it was erected
by Mr. William Blake of Coggs, in 1683. it is probable
however, that a statue of some kind — Tradition says one
of the Virgin — had stood here for centuries. It is
possible that the base of the pedestal, which the present
building covers, was in some way connected with this.
No doubt, Witney in common with other towns, had its
42 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Market Cross ; these structures, however, excited the
wrath of the Puritans, and many of them disappeared in
the time of the Commonwealth. All knowledge with
respect to the structure, which we cannot doubt, existed
at Witney, has been lost, but it is possible that the
Butter Cross stands on the site which it occupied, and
the tradition with regard to a Statue of the Virgin, may
be explained by supposing that the original Market
Cross, — as was the case in some other places, — consisted
of a representation of the Mother of Christ with her
Divine Child in Her arms.
Witney, too, like many other places, appears to
have gone mad with joy on the outbreak of that great
European Conflict, which has always been known as the
SEVEN YEARS WAR.
Tidings of the wonderful conquests which Britons had
made in India, and all over the world, no doubt, reached
Witney more rapidly than some other places, on account
of the frequency with which its traders visited the
Metropolis, and other places of light and leading. The
wonderful tales of the wealth which had been acquired,
together with innumerable stories of heroic courage
which Britons exhibited, had stirred the national spirit
in no slight degree, and every true born Englishman
looked upon a Frenchman as his natural enemy. For
the French, too, were endeavouring to found colonies as
well as the English, and with equal right, though of
course the latter did not think so. For years a kind of
smouldering warfare had been kept up between the two
nations, and when in 1755, war was actually declared,
WITNEY IN LATER TIMES. 43
the delight of English people knew no bounds. What
Witney thought of the matter is sufficiently indicated by
the following notice, which appears in an old newspaper :
" 1755- War was declared against France, at Oxford
Witney and other places, and on the like occasion, there
never appeared a more general joy on the face of every
true Briton in hopes of once more humbling a perfidious
enemy."
Then eight years of the deepest consequence to
Witney and other places in the land, go by, and during
that time people here and elsewhere had learned much.
Gallant General Wolfe, like his great opponent
Montcalm, had perished on the heights of Abraham, and
Canada, one of the finest possessions of the Crown, had
been added to the Empire ; Admiral Byng had been
shot for not fighting ; the great Commoner had been
hurled from power ; Plassey had been fought and won,
and what was of very much more importance to the
people at home, the Bridgewater Canal had been begun
and was promising well for completion. Poor George II
had died in dearly beloved Hanover, and his grandson,
George III had taken his place on the throne of
England. And all this time the ghastly warfare had
proceeded, bringing with it grim ruin and black death.
Taxes too, had become enormous, scarcely a household
was there, either in Witney or elsewhere, that had not
suffered in some way from the frightful scourge. Tin-
country, it was true, was becoming the most glorious
the world had ever seen, but at what a cost ! People at
Witney, we may be sure, were heartily tired of the fray,
for this was before our colonial commerce had
44 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
commenced, in any measure, and although there may
have been those here, who with some prescience, were
able to conjecture, that splendid fields were being opened
for the sale of blankets, yet to the poor, who always
suffer most on such occasions, it brought nothing, but
loss of work with the starvation which invariably
accompanies it. What the Witney people thought of
the Declaration of Peace, which followed the Treaty of
Fontainebleau, against which Pitt spoke for three hours,
becoming at the end of that time so exhausted, that he
was unable to record his vote, is indicated in the
following letter, written from Witney by a correspondent
whose identity has not been discovered.
" 1763. April 9th. This day peace was proclaimed
here with the greatest Formality. A numerous band of
music collected from the town and neighbourhood, all
mounted ; together with drums of all sizes, some on
horseback, others on foot, attended the ceremony, and
besides the Peace offering, the cavalcade was headed by
two furious old warriors armed with hand grenades, as
also a Marshal to preserve order. Our Bailiffs wore
their white bands, the Master and the Blanketer's
Company appeared on horseback, who were preceded by
the Tuckers on foot, in which order a procession was
made for about two hours, and the Proclamation read by
the Parish Clerk at the usual places, and for the last time
against the Market Cross, about 11 o'clock. The
Cavalcade was very numerous, and consisted of people of
all ages, decorated with cockades. The concourse of
spectators was very much greater by being both Market
and Fair Day. After the ceremony, money and bread
WITNEY IN LATER TIMES. 45
were thrown to the populace from the market house, and
the whole was so admirably conducted that the utmost
applause is due, on this occasion, to the performers.
Their dress, though not costly, was splendid, and the
whole Farce conducted in the most burlesque taste
imaginable."
It is said to be a wise order of Providence which
prevents us from seeing the future, for what the people
who were cheering for the Peace would have thought if
they had been able to forsee that the Country was to
remain for another 50 years, constantly embroiled in one
war or another, we cannot think. Certain it is that we
are now reaping the reward of the courage and
patriotism of the Englishmen of those days, and perhaps
it may be said truthfully that few places have benefitted
more by the foreign acquisitions then made, than
Witney.
So with Wars, and rumours of Wars, life jogged
along on the banks of the Windrush, at the time when
John Gilpin acquired fame by making his remarkable
gallop. Roused it was sometimes, we can imagine, with
such prospects as the following extract from an old
newspaper shows. It was just at this very date that the
towns of the North were beginning, on account of the
coal-fields near them, to expand into the mammoth
places which we now behold. Did Mr. Lacey, we
wonder, think he might be able to turn the pleasant
countryside round Witney into a black dirty place,
remarkable for wealth, indeed — but remarkable for dirt
too ? He may have done. There may have been, too,
those manufacturers in Witney whose hearts fluttered,
46 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
not a little, at the prospect of being able to take advantage
of steam power, which even then, was beginning to be
used, and, of course, to excite attention. As is well
known, the project came to nothing, and on the whole,
Witney and its neighbourhood may be congratulated on
the fact.
" 1764. July 2 1 st. James Lacey, Esq., Lord of
Eynsham Manor, one of the Patentees of Drury Lane
Playhouse, opening a pit a little on the South side of the
Turnpike Road, over Northleigh Heath, where a bed
of coals is said to have been discovered long since — when
they dug many years ago, some say seventy — other
hundred yards deep, when, having no engine, water
rushed in, and at length obliged him to desist, after
spending the chief of his fortune, and when within a few
yards of the mine, the old pit now re-opened, and is
already 100 feet deep — the old framing not the least
impaired."
Nor were natural phenomena wanting to supply food
for thought and reflection at this time, as the following
letter shows : —
" 1766. From Witney, in Oxon. Being on the
borders of Whichwood Forest last week, we were greatly
alarmed in the night, which was very tempestuous, with
a most extraordinary noise, that somewhat resembled the
distant explosion of guns, or thunder. But the next
morning, on taking a ride through the glades, we
discovered it to be occasioned by the rending and fall
of vast branches or arms from all sorts of trees, which
were scattered so thick upon the ground as to render the
roads almost impassable. This appeared to be owing to
WITNEY IN LATER TIMES. 47
the immediate and immense congelation of a vast
quantity of rain that fell on the branches, which
incrusted them to an incredible thickness, and by its
weight rendered them unable to resist the violence of
the North-East wind that blew at the same time. Such
a phenomenon is not remembered by the oldest man
living. The country people are now employed in vast
numbers to collect the wood, which amounts to many
hundred loads, and look on it as an interposition of
Heaven at this severe and calamitous season."
This was, doubtless, a very unusual phenomenon,
and though the matter may have been exaggerated in
some degree by the writer — especially with regard to
the distant thunder — yet it affords conclusive evidence
that even at so late a time as 1766 the Forest of
Wychwood reached very nearly indeed to the town.
We are able to gather, too, what the amusements of
the people of Witney were at the end of the last century.
The three principal times for recreation seem to
have been
THE WHIT HUNT, FOREST FAIR, AND THE BATTLES
OF THE FIFTH OK NOVEMBER.
Of these, Whitsuntide seems to have been considered
the most important. Its advent was announced some
weeks previously by the blowing of horns, made in a
manner peculiar to the town and neighbourhood. A
withy pole was barked, and the skin twisted into a horn of
primeval shape, into this a bassoon reed was inserted, and
the reader will probably think that the sound of this horn
must have been as unusual as its shape was primeval.
48 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Witney people are now mercifully saved from the
excruciating noise, made by a band of fifty performers,
provided with horns of all sizes, tones, and notes, forming
itself into a motley procession, which was accustomed in
those days to parade the town several weeks before the
Hunt actually took place. The origin of this Hunt has
been referred to in a previous chapter, and it was most
certainly an amusement in which Witney people had
indulged for centuries ; the very use of the horns marks
a very primitive state of society, when men were obliged
to apply their ingenuity in the making of the implements
of the chase. No doubt there was a time when such a
horn was the only means which the sportsman possessed
of showing those acting with him in what direction he
was proceeding. But this was a long time ago, when
nearly the whole country was forest. It may be,
however, that from the circumstance of these horns
having been used in the first instance for sport, the
Witney hunters still clung to them in an age which was
more civilized and more luxurious.
On Whit-Monday morning, these horns were used
for the last time that season, for on that day the band,
going in front of a rough pack of harriers, and followed
by almost everyone in the town, (those having horses, or
donkeys, mounted) marched as far as the Chase Green,
where they solemnly broke their horns on the stile,
leading to Hailey, called " Codling Corner." So they
proceeded to claim their ancient custom of hunting in
Wychwood Forest. By a curious custom, the origin of
which it is impossible to discover, the first deer killed
was taken to Hailey, the second to Crawley, and the
WITNEY IN LATER TIMES. 49
third was carried to Witney, where it was cooked in an
informal kind of manner, in a huge frying pan kept, no
doubt, for the purpose, and which knew little rest for a
few days following Whit-Monday. But what appears to
have been regarded as a much more important matter
than eating any of the venison, was the possession of a
piece of the slain deer's skin ; this was generally stuck in
front of the hat. So much importance was then
attached to the possession of this trophy, that it is
recorded more than one fair damsel has decided which of
the candidates for her hand should be the fortunate one,
from the manner in which they conducted themselves in
the Hunt, consideration being, of course, given to the
amount of deer's skin in their possession. At this Hunt,
too, most of the pugilistic quarrels, which had been
smouldering during the year, were settled. Champions
from various parishes, such as Finstock, Hailey, Witney,
and, above all, the " Field Towners " announced weeks
beforehand, that they would be ready after the Hunt to
maintain not only their own prestige, but the honour of
the particular parish to which they belonged. And as
some quiet glade in the Forest was chosen for tin <■
" solemn jousts," probably very little harm resulted from
the affair, except it may be a few broken heads, which
were soon mended. In those times,
WITNEY FEAST SUNDAY
was indeed a great day. The Band, (for Witney, even
then was noted for its music) met at the Staple Hall,
and played the children up to the Church, preceded by
the Clergy, and the principal inhabitants. The bc-t.
50 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
singers and organists from Oxford, generally volunteered
their services for the day, and collections of a truly
liberal character followed, it being no uncommon thing
to hear of a collection of £70 at the Church doors.
Many of the neighbouring gentry were in the habit of
attending the Church on this day, the Lord and Lady
Churchill of that time constantly did so, and even held
the plates for collection at the Church doors.
Then for three days more, Witney people annually
went mad with revelry. Races were held on Curbridge
Downs, (situated on the left hand side of the Burford
road) on Monday and Tuesday following, and Witney
must on these occasions, with its people away from the
town, have presented a great contrast to the crowded
Green, such as may be seen on those days now. These
races generally ended in a donkey race, from the Church
door to Staple Hall and back, and in this competition
every rider was placed on his opponent's donkey, and
the last in was declared the winner.
But the greatest treat of all, the Wednesday, was
yet to come, for on that day the renowned Forest Fair
was held. This Fair differed in its origin from most
others of its kind. Usually the existence of a Fair is
traceable to a distant time, when locomotion was
extremely difficult, and when the establishment of a
Fair was an absolute necessity of the age. But it is
manifest that Forest Fair could have owed its origin to
no such circumstance. There is no trace of it earlier
than 1790, and if a Fair had been established here in the
Middle Ages, or after, the circumstance would have been
noted in the documents of the time.
WITNEY IN LATER TIMES. 5 1
FOREST FAIR
appears to have originated towards the end of the
1 8th century, from the perfectly natural desire of the
people of Witney and of the neighbourhood, to spend
a day at this most beautiful period of the year, in the
Forest, under the shade of the magnificent oak trees,
before the Summer was yet over, and chill Winter had
taken its place. Who the particular person was that
founded this important institution is not known, but the
idea is said to have originated in Witney. The Fair
grew rapidly, and from the circumstance of a few families
meeting together for a quiet picnic, a crowd in a few
years, which is said to have numbered 30,000,
congregated in the glades of Wychwood. This Fair has
now been abolished for several years.
FIFTH OF NOVEMBER.
The so called "Battle" of the 5th of November
i
though looked upon in Witney at that time as a holiday,
seems to have been in many respects very different to
our modern ideas of recreation. As was stated in a
previous chapter, the " Battle " may have possibly been
a lineal descendant of other and more important contests,
which in a distant time had been fought between the
two Saxon races, whose territory touched at Witney.
This is, of course, only pure conjecture, and certainly so
far as researches have proceeded in the various boi
connected with Witney, there is no mention of the
contest on the 5th of November at all. The townsmen
at their Court were particular about man)- things ; indeed
there ts nothing more remarkable in the various entries
52 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
which they made in their books, than the rigour with
which they appear to have administered local
self-government. It may have been that the ancient
character of these feuds restrained the various officers
from interference, otherwise it is almost impossible to
believe that such disturbances would have been allowed.
Certain it is that the Fights of November the 5th, were
in full swing at the commencement of the present
century, and although fair play seems to have been
observed generally, there can be no doubt that many
seized the occasion for paying off old scores. Such
riotings have died out many years ago, as it was only
proper, and in accordance with our modern ideas of
civilization that they should do, and Witney people in
these times happily, not even for one day in the year
make the least difference between those who may dwell
in the South of the river, the Up-town, and those who
live North of the bridge, or the Down-town.
HARD TIMES.
And the times were full of anxiety then, as now.
The Quartern Loaf is now selling at 4c!., but at the
beginning of the present century it was sold at 2 id, and
as may be imagined, with work scarce, owing to the wars
which were ceaselessly taking place, few, very few, in
Witney, were able to purchase the " Staff of Life " at all
and the poor people lived on barley bread, called
" Clangers." Who can wonder that in various parts of
the kingdom, men so far lost their patience and their
prudence, that they broke out into ■ something like open
rebellion. Here at Witney, a swarm of men and women
assuming a name which had proved disastrous enough at
WITNEY IN LATER TIMES. 53
the commencement of the establishment of the
Commonwealth, went round the various villages and
threatened to hang every farmer who would not sell his
wheat at ^"20 per load. In this book mention has been
made of several matters in which we have retrograded
during the last three hundred years, but will any one be
bold enough to assert that in such an economic matter
as the one under notice we have not travelled forward
and wisely ? At any rate, there would be now no
difficulty whatever in getting the descendants of the
farmers, who lived when Napolean was keeping the
energies of Englishmen employed, to sell their wheat at
one third of the price the Witney Levellers insisted
upon.
Witney was, too, at this time — if we may trust the
written testimony of one who bore an honoured name —
an extremely
SUPERSTITIOUS PLACE.
Whether it was more so than the neighbouring villages
and towns is not recorded ; but certainly if all he states
be true, and there is no reason whatever for doubting it,
the educating influence of the last few years has not been
exactly thrown away. It would seem that there were, at
least, two old women, so late as the beginning of the
present century, who were generally supposed to have
communications with the " Evil One," and it was
actually believed, by many people, that one of these had
transformed herself, temporarily, into a hare on Curbridge
Downs, had been shot at by a farmer, and wounded in
the leg, and as a proof it was pointed out that the old
woman was really lame.
54 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Many residences were there in the town which
had the reputation of being haunted, and in one of these
which enjoyed the greatest notoriety of all, the remains
of six ghost nails, which a superstitious housekeeper put
in between the courses of the stone, are to-day quite
discernible. All this reads curiously enough to us who
are accustomed to search for natural phenomena as
explanations of what people in Witney regarded, a long
time ago, as ghosts.
Then the Whipping Post and Stocks stood close to
the Butter Cross, and many times in the year did the
officers of the town exercise their muscles on the bodies
of those who had outraged the laws. The last occasion
on which this punishment, so out of touch with our
modern ideas, is recorded to have taken place, was when
a celebrated character, Billy Hack, was whipped by old
Bellman William Harberd, for robbing the Rectory
Garden.
The following extracts, taken likewise from the files
of ancient newspapers, may not be without interest
now : —
" 1728. May 1st. We have the following remarkable
account from Witney, in Oxon, viz., that some days since,
the child of one, John Marriott, being baptized, there
were present no less than five grandmothers — the child's
father's father was godfather, the father's father's mother
was one godmother, and the mother's mother's mother
was the other godmother, whose name is Ursula
Townsend, of Staple Hall, in Witney. She is upwards
of 100 years old, a hearty woman, has now above 150
children and grandchildren living."
WITNEY IN LATER TIMES. 55
Both names mentioned above are well known and
honoured in the town to this day.
THE TOWNSEND FAMILY
built Staple Hall in 1668, and lived there four
generations, till 1780. Mr. W. Townsend, of this family,
left Witney a poor young man, and went to seek his
fortune in the great world. At Oxford he lived for some
little time, but, like many others, he was drawn to the
Metropolis, and at the age of 35 he was worth not
one penny. Then he took a retail shop, about 1792,
and rapidly acquired great wealth. Nor did this Witney
worthy forget his native town in the days of his prosperity.
The Independent Chapel was erected by his bounty, and
the Almshouses, situated at Newland, were built and
endowed by him, as an inscription on them states.
" 1808. On Wednesday last, Mr. John Castell, of
Witney, ascended to the top of Witney steeple, a
perpendicular height, of 52 yards, by means of ladders.
He took off the weather-cock and brought it down in the
presence of a vast concourse of people. He was not
more than eight hours fixing the ladder."
JUBILEE OF GEORGE III.
"October 28th, Geo. Bartlett, one of the ringers,
rang on this day in a peal at the Parish Church. He
rang at the King's Accession forty-nine years ago, and at
every birthday since."
Having regard to the dark and suffering period in
which Mr. Bartlett lived, admiration for his extraordinary
physique must not be withheld.
HISTORY OF WITNEY.
LOCAL MILITIA.
Nor was Witney, at this period, destitute of gallant
men, who were ready when danger of no mean kind
threatened the country, to lay down their lives for hearth
and home, as the following extract shows : —
"April 14th, 1810. Commission for Oxfordshire
Local Militia, 1 or West Regiment. — Chas. Shard
Captain ; Dan Westell, Lieutenant ; John W. Clinch,
Lieutenant ; Thomas Higgins, Ensign."
"May 5th. On Tuesday last, the 1st Royal
Oxfordshire Local Militia met at Witney for twenty
days."
"May 26th. On Monday last, the 1st Royal
Oxfordshire Local Militia received a very elegant pair of
colours from the hands of Her Grace the Duchess of
Marlborough. They were presented in a meadow near
the Church. Her Grace addressed Lord Spencer. He
replied, and then the Duchess delivered the colours into
the hands of the two senior ensigns."
So whilst Wellington was engaged in anxious
thought, safely entrenched within the lines of Torres
Vedras, some of the Witney people, in their way — not
less patriotic — were, by drilling themselves in the
meadows near the town, becoming proficient in the use
of arms, in order that, should necessity arise, they might
help to save the country from invasion. At this very time
the country was passing through a fearful crisis. Poor old
George III, enshrouded in darkness, bodily and mental,
was yet on the throne, but so incapable, that his son (not
setting a very excellent example to the people,) was
made Regent. The dreadful war still went on, blasting
WITNEY IN LATER TIMES. 57
the happiness of many a home ; draining the pockets of
everyone in the land. But a time came before very long
when the power of the despot was broken — thanks to
the patriotism and the courage of Englishmen — and we
have the following record : —
"July 2nd, 1 8 14. On Tuesday last, a dinner was
given at Witney in celebration of the Peace ; iooo
persons dined together on Church Green."
Once again, within a year, was that Peace broken,
and then Witney, in common with other places in the
land, settled down to peace and security for half-a-
century.
And what shall be said of Witney to-day ? Unlike
so many places in the neighbourhood, it still retains
the manufacture of woollens, which it has held for
centuries. It stands out now, prominently, as having
the best market of any town, with the exception of
Oxford and Banbury, in the whole county ; and its people
appear now to be gifted with that "go-a-head" spirit,
which has throughout some centuries distinguished
them. Agricultural depression, such as that through
which we are passing, no doubt touches it severely ; but
Witney may be said to be, in all truth, a pleasant place
enough, a manufacturing town in the midst of a country,
where for many miles on each side of it the people know
no art save that of agriculture ; with enough history
attached to it to render it a place of some interest to
those who take a delight in the England of long ago.
/
CHAPTER IV.
fljc »oolien Jltanufacture.
^WT is not certainly known when Witney first became
^ remarkable for the making of woollen cloth ; it is
probable, though, that as early as Norman times the
Valley of the Windrush was, in some measure, noted for
this manufacture. Cloth, of some kind, must always have
been made here, or elsewhere in England, though it was,
most likely, till the 14th century, of a very primitive
kind. The wools produced in the neighbourhood were,
one cannot doubt, the chief of the causes which induced
clothiers in old times to settle in Witney or the
neighbourhood ; though it has been stated that the
river Windrush, which flows through this town,
possesses properties which occasioned the trade to be
located here in the first instance. " Abstersive " is the
name by which Dr. Plot, in the 17th century, describes
the particular qualities of this river ; and though there
may be those who will elect to believe that the Windrush
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 59
possesses no qualities but those which are common to all
streams, yet there can be no doubt at all that there is a
difference of some kind, and as a proof of this may be
mentioned the fact that the fish in this stream are found
to be, for appearance and quality, vastly superior to
those in most other waters. In what the differences
consist it is difficult to say, and the mystery seems to
have either escaped the attention of our modern chemists,
or else to have puzzled them altogether. Probably,
because of the properties of the water, or for some
other reason, the Saxons and Normans may have
manufactured cloth here in small quantities, and fulling
mills stood, it is stated, at intervals along the greater part
of the banks of the Windrush, before England could be
said to be in any way remarkable for the manufacture of
woollen goods. Till the 12th century, cloth appears to
have been generally made at home by the members of
each family, and the superior kinds which could not be
produced in this country were sent over from Flanders,
the inhabitants of which kingdom appear, in those days,
to have been the sole proprietors of the art of making
the better kinds of cloth.
It was not till the reign of Edward III that the
woollen manufacture became of importance in England.
This King, in the earlier years of his reign, as great and
wise a monarch as has ever ruled over England, finding
that nearly all the wool passed out of the country to
Flanders, and was there manufactured into cloth,
endeavoured to retain the vast wealth thus produced in
this country ; but old Thomas Fuller, in his charmingly
quaint History of the Church in Britain, has given a
60 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
curious and amusing account of the establishment of this
industry in England, which is copied here at length : —
"The King and State," says Fuller, "began now to
grow sensible of the great gain the Netherlands got by
our English wool ; in memory whereof the Duke of
Burgundy, not long after, instituted the Order of the
Golden Fleece, wherein, indeed, the fleece was ours, the
golden theirs, — so vast their emolument by the trade
of clothing. Our King, therefore, resolved, if possible,
to reduce the trade to his own country, who, as yet, were
ignorant of that art, as knowing no more what to do with
their wool than the sheep that wear it, as to any artificial
and curious drapery ; their best clothes then being no
better than friezes, such their coarseness for want of skill
in their making. But soon after followed a great
alteration, and we shall enlarge ourselves in the manner
thereof.''
"The intercourse now being great betwixt the
English and the Netherlands, (increased of late, since
King Edward married the daughter of the Earl of
Hainault), unsuspected emissaries were employed by our
King into those countries, who wrought themselves into
familiarity with such Dutchmen as were absolute masters
of their trade, but not masters of themselves, as either
journeymen or apprentices. These bemoaned the
slavishness of their poor servants, whom their masters
used rather like Heathens than Christians, yea, rather
like horses than men ! Early up, and late to bed, and all
day hard at work, and harder fare, (a few herrings and
mouldy cheese), and all to enrich the churls, their
masters, without any profit unto themselves."
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 6 1
" But, oh ! how happy should they be, if they would
but come over into England, bringing their mystery
with them, which would provide their welcome in all
places ! Here they would feed on fat beef and mutton
till nothing but their fullness would stint their stomachs :
yea, they should feed on the labours of their own hands,
enjoying a proportionable profit of their pains to
themselves ; their beds should be good, and their bed
fellows better, seeing the richest yeoman in England
would not disdain to marry their daughters unto them,
and such the English beauties, that the most envious
foreigners could not but commend them."
" Liberty is a lesson quickly conned by heart ; men
having a principle within themselves to prompt them, in
case they forget it. Persuaded with the premises, many
Dutch servants leave their masters, and make over for
England. Their departure thence (being pricked here
and there) made no sensible vacuity ; but their meeting
here all together amounted to a considerable fulness.
With themselves, they brought over their trade, and
their tools, namely such which could not as yet be so
conveniently made in England."
" Happy the yeoman's house into which one of these
Dutchmen did enter, bringing industry and wealth along
with them. Such who came in strangers within their
doors soon after went out bridegrooms, and returned
son-in-laws, having married the daughters of their
landlords who first entertained them. Yea, those yeomen
in whose houses they harboured soon proceeded
gentlemen, gaining great estates to themselves, arms and
worship to their estates."
62 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" The King having gotten this treasury of foreigners,
thought not fit to continue them all in one place, lest on
discontent they might embrace a general resolution to
return ; but bestowed them through all the part of the
land, that clothing thereby might be the better dispersed.
Here I say nothing of the colony of the Dutch, who
frighted out of their country with an inundation, about
the reign of King Henry I, possibly before that nation
had attained the cunning of cloth-making, were seated
only in Pembrokeshire. This new generation of Dutch
was now sprinkled everywhere, so that England (in
relation, I mean, to her own countries) may bespeak
these inmates in the language of the Poet : —
' Quae regio in tcrris vcstri non plena laboris ? '
Though generally, where left to their own choice, they
preferred a maritime habitation.
East. — i, Norfolk, Norwich Fustians ; 2, Suffolk,
Sudbury Baize ; 3, Essex, Colchester Sayes and Serges ;
4, Kent, Kentish Broad cloths.
West. — 1, Devonshire, Kerseys; 2, Gloucestershire,
Cloth ; 3, Worcestershire, Cloth ; 4, Wales Welsh
Friezes.
North. — 1, Westmoreland, Kendall Cloth ; 2,
Lancashire, Manchester Cotton ; 3, Yorkshire, Halifax
Cloths.
South. — 1, Somersetshire, Taunton Serges ; 2,
Hampshire, Cloth ; 3, Berkshire, Cloth ; 4, Sussex, Cloth."
" I am informed that a prime Dutch cloth maker in
Gloucestershire, had the surname of Web given him by
King Edward, there ; a family still famous for their
manufacture. Observe we here, that Mid-England,
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 63
Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, and Cambridge, having
most wool, have least of clothing therein."
" Here the Dutchman found fuller's earth, a precious
treasure, whereof England hath, if not more, better than
all Christendom besides ; a great commodity of the
quorum of the making good cloth, so that nature may-
seem to point out our land for the staple of Drapery, if
the idleness of her inhabitants be not the only hinderance
thereof. This Fuller's earth is clean, contrary to our
Jesuits, who are needless drugs, yet still staying here,
though daily commanded to depart, whilst Fuller's earth,
a precious ware, is daily scoured hence, though by law
forbidden to be transported."
" And now was the English wool improved to the
highest profit, passing through so many hands, every one
having a fleece of the fleece, — sorters, combers, carders,
spinsters, weavers, fullers, dyers, pressers, packers, and
the manufactures have been heightened to a high
perfection, since the cruelty of the Duke Alva drove over
more Dutch into England. But enough of this subject,
which let none condemn for a deviation from Church
History. First, because it would not grieve one to go a
little out of the way, if the way be good, as this digression
is for the credit and profit of our country. Secondly, it
reductively belongeth to the Church History, seeing
many poor people, both young and old, formerly charging
the parishes (as appeared by the account of the Church
Officers) were hereby enabled to maintain themselves.
Fuller's Church History, Vol. /.,/>/> 418-420, ed. iSjy.''
That some of the foreigners, mentioned above,
settled in Witney admits of little doubt, though whether
64 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
they came to the little Oxfordshire town as early as the
reign of Edward III, is not certain. That they lived in
the place during the early part of the reign of Henry
VIII is certain, as may be seen by reading in the chapter
on Ecclesiastical Witney the names of those who were
persecuted for holding religious views, at that time
regarded as heretical. John of Brabant, is the particular
name which points to the fact that Witney was the
habitation of some of the Flemings who came to teach
the English the mysteries of the woollen manufacture.
It will be perceived that Fuller does not mention
Witney as being engaged in the woollen trade, nor,
indeed, any town in Oxfordshire. This is curious, and
almost unaccountable. Fuller was a most reliable and
veracious historian, and yet it is quite certain that
Witney was, at the time he wrote his history, in some
measure noted for the manufacture of cloth. In previous
chapters, the name of Wenman has been mentioned
more than once, and it is certain that this was a very
important family, and one which was associated in one
way and another, through many generations, with the
town of Witney. Now, tradition says, that a certain
member of this family was the first man to convey the
goods, which he manufactured, to London from Witney,
by means of drays, or wains, and as the custom of taking
surnames was, at the time he made this innovation,
beginning to arise, he took that of Wain-man, or, as we
spell it now, Wenman. There can be no possible doubt
that the Wenmans were manufacturers, for old Antony
Wood speaks of them as being " clothiers at Witney."
They resided, after they retired from business, at Caswell
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 65
House, which was once a fine baronial Mansion or Castle.
The evidences that a moat ran round it at one time yet
remain. Before this, however, they seemed to have
occupied the habitation which formerly stood in Witney
" Park."
The story quoted above, which seems so probable,
as to warrant the statement that the woollen manufacture
actually was carried on here, is not the only evidence
that Fuller wrote with insufficient knowledge, when he
did not include Witney in the list of those places where
the manufacture of wool was carried on. There is the
following statement which puts the matter beyond doubt.
In the Journals of the House of Lords, the following may
be found : —
" 1 641. Upon reading the Petition of the Blanket
' Makers of the towne of Witney, in the County of Oxon,
' complaining of a patent for the sealing of their Blankets,
' which is great oppression for them ; it is ordered that
'the Patent, by which the same are so sealed, shall be
' brought into this House, and that the Patentees shall
' appear before their Lordships, on Thursday, the 26th of
'this instant, and that the patentees shall forbeare to lay
' any imposition upon the said Blankets, made or to be
'made in that Towne, until the pleasure of this house be
'further known."
This petition was presented in 1641, and Fuller was
probably at this time, busy in writing his history. Nor
could the Trade have been altogether unimportant ; the
aggrieved Blanket Makers possessed sufficient influence
to get their petition presented, and considered, in the
House of Lords — no easy matter most likely in those busy
66 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
times — a sure indication that the trade was of some
consequence. It may be observed, too, with interest,
that the particular branch of the woollen trade, which
now nourishes here, was, 250 years ago, that which kept
the energies of Witney manufacturers engaged. But
before this time the manufacture of woollens was so
extensive and important that a special " Alnager," (or
cloth searcher) was appointed to inspect the goods
made at Witney. This is shown by the following
extract from the "Calendar of State Papers, 1591 —
1594":—
"1594. Dec. 20. Declaration by Sir George
" Delnes and William Fitzwilliam to whom the Queen
" has granted the alnage of the new Draperies, by patent
" of July last, of their appointment of Rich. Baker, of
" Hawstead, Essex, as deputy alnager in that town, (i.e.
" Witney), from Xmas to midsummer next, so that he
" perform the office honestly, and do not needlessly
" molest the subject. Endorsed, John Collier, of Witney,
" clothier ; Stephen Collier, of the same place, fuller."
And if additional proof be wanted, that Fuller spoke
with imperfect knowledge, it may be found in the fact that
in the Reign of Elizabeth an Act was passed touching
the breadth of white woollen cloths made in the Counties
of Wilts, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Oxon. Witney
is not, indeed, mentioned in this Act, any more than the
places in other counties, but Fuller does not say that the
woollen manufacture was carried on in Oxfordshire at all,
and, though he wrote some years after the Reign of
Elizabeth was over, yet it is most unlikely that the trade
disappeared in 50 years or so. Probably Fuller was
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 67
ignorant of this part of the Kingdom, though the whole
matter is rendered more puzzling, when it is considered
that Dr. Jackson, a Rector of Witney, was the historian's
great friend. Whether this friendship commenced after
the period when Fuller wrote his book, we have not
been able to ascertain.
England was, in the Middle Ages, the only wool
producing country in the North of Europe. Spain
grew wool, but it could not be used without an
admixture of English ; and there were other reasons
why this country had a practical monopoly of the wool
trade, apart from its favourable climate and soil. While
the farmers in Western Europe were continually
interrupted by the ceaseless wars, which were devastating
their homesteads, rendering the keeping of sheep an
absolute impossibility, England, in spite of outbreaks
now and then, was in a fairly peaceful state, and
throughout the length and breadth of the land sheep
farming was the most important industry, and the
export of wool, to Flanders, became of the highest
importance. The chief growers of wool at this period
were the Cistercian Monks, who owned enormous flocks
of sheep. The finest wool at this time, was that grown
in Herefordshire, and next to this came that grown in
Oxfordshire. Although woollens were manufactured in
England extensively, from the time of Edward III,
yet all English cloths of importance had to be sent to
the Netherlands, for the purpose of being' dyed. For
owing to the progress made by the Dutch in the
cultivation of madder, and also to the fact that, at tins
period, they possessed the sole secret of pulverizing the
68 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
root of this plant, in order to prepare it for use, the
dyeing industry did not flourish much in England, and
not till the reign of James I did this trade become
important in this country.
When blankets were first made at Witney cannot
be even conjectured. Thomas a'Blanket set up looms in
his house at Bristol, in 1339, and in the same year it was
enacted that no wool should be exported. An Act was
also passed to protect Thomas a'Blanket, though in what
way he needed protection is not clear. Whether this
man, to whom everybody in England, and especially
Witney people, have reason to be grateful, was in any
way associated with the establishment of the making of
blankets in this Oxfordshire town, is not known. That
Thomas a'Blanket resided here for any lengthened
period is unlikely, though the establishment of the
manufacture of the article, which goes by his name, may
have been due to those who had been taught the secret
of the trade by him.
That the manufacture was prosperous towards the
end of the 17th century, seems certain, judging from the
number of people who were engaged in it. This may be
seen by looking at the Tokens, a list of which appears in
a previous chapter. For the word " Clothier" must not be
taken to signify, as it would now, a man who merely
makes clothes, or sells them, but one who was actually
engaged in the manufacture of cloth. A petition of the
Clothiers, in and around Witney, was also presented in
1 6a 1, to the House of Lords, asking that the rights and
privileges of the Royal African Company might be
protected. The Company, here referred to, was, doubtless,
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 69
constituted on the lines of the East India Company,
which, even at this early period, was fast becoming a
huge success. Witney people, no doubt, had extensive
dealings, even at that time, with the "dark continent,"
and if so, this is another proof that at the period named
Witney Blankets were well known.
VISIT OF JAMES II.
To Witney, in 1687, came that obstinate Sovereign,
James II, after browbeating the Fellows of
Magdalen College, Oxford. The latter, as is well known,
had the power of choosing as their president any one
from among those who had been either Fellows of their
Society, or of New College. True it was that on more
than one occasion, Sovereigns of England had
intimated their wishes in such matters, and on these
occasions, it had been customary to respect them. But
now James II desired them to elect, as president, a
notable libertine, named Anthony Farmer, who in
addition to following a dissolute mode of living, was also
said to be a Roman Catholic. The Fellows, acting with
a courage which distinguished them throughout the
struggle, declined to do so, and elected John Hough,
a man of eminent virtue and prudence. For
this they were cited to appear before the High
Commission at Whitehall, where they were treated by
Chief Justice Jeffreys after his usual fashion. By this
Commission Hough's election was declared null and void,
and soon after another Royal letter was sent to the
Fellows, commanding them to appoint Parker, Bishop of
Oxford, as their President. Again the King's request
7C HISTORY OF WITNEY.
was denied ; and finally James decided to set out on a
progress, during which he determined to pay the
University of Oxford a visit, thinking that the Fellows of
Magdalen would not dare to refuse any request he might
make of them personally. At the period of this visit he
made pleasant excursions to many places which had not
long before played an important part in the History of
England. Edgehill, not very far from Oxford, was
visited amongst other places, and if any thoughts of the
wisdom of the course he was adopting came into his
mind as he rode over the same ground where his Father,
not many years before, had watched the army of the
Parliament as they struggled valiantly against his better
trained army, they were quickly put on one side by
the demonstrations of joy with which he was received in
the towns and villages in the neighbourhood.
Demonstrations of this kind, which were paid him
out of respect for the high office which he held,
the poor deluded King interpreted as approvals
of his object for establishing Papacy in the land,
and especially of approbation with regard to his
policy in the matter of Magdalen College. It is well
known how the struggle closed, as, indeed, all contests
between right and wrong ought to end. In little more
than a year from this time, James II was an exile, living
on the bounty of a foreign prince. The following is
taken from Wood, M.S. D. 19 (3), fo. 86b :—
" In the meanetime, the Mayor (of Oxford) and his
" brethren conducted him beyond S. Gile's
" Church, and then the King bid them return, being wet
" weather."
THE -WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 71
" Afterwards, went to Yarnton, Cassington, and
" then to Witney, where they presented him with a pair
" of blankets, with golden fringe."
" This progress of the King was supposed to be
" taken to ingratiate himself with the people."
But it was not long after this that the most
influential of the clothiers of Witney decided to petition
for a Company, which should have certain powers in
respect to the manufacture of cloth in Witney, and
within 20 miles of the town. These Oxfordshire
manufacturers were by no means alone, in attempting to
found a Company ; it was the great fashion of the time,
and it was considered a privilege to be able to obtain
such a Charter as they sought. Why this comparatively
small country town was able to get such a privilege
appears to have been due,, either to the good offices of
Simon, Earl Harcourt, who lived and owned Cokethorpe,
close by, or to the Earl of Clarendon, likewise a
neighbour. Of course the ideas, then very generally
held, that it was necessary to have restrictions, in order
to protect commerce, have been exploded long ago.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WITNEY BLANKET COMPANY.
The Charter was granted in 1710, and as Earl
Harcourt had done so much for the clothiers of Witney,
it was but reasonable that they should ask him to be the
High Steward of the New Corporation, which office, we
may be sure, was nothing more than a sinecure. The
first master was John White, whose tomb may be seen
now, near to the Chancel of Coggs Church. The first
meeting in connection with the Company was held on
the 12th. of January, 1 71 1, the members, whose names
72 HISTORY OK WITNEY.
are given, being : — John Dutton, Robert Collier, Edward
Busby, Thomas Ffuller, William Marriott, Richard
Deane, Thomas Ffreeman, Joseph Basson, Thomas
Brooks the Younger, Richard Collins, all of whom are
declared to be Blanket Weavers, residing in Witney.
At the same court, John Wiggins and John Early were,
being both blanket weavers, of Witney aforesaid, admitted
into this Company, but as they were Quakers, they
made the solemn affirmation or declaration, pursuant to
the Act of Parliament in that behalf.
On the first day of the formation of the Company,
the Members numbered 15 altogether, but another Court
appears to have been held on the next day, and 16 more
swelled the ranks, and before the year closed there were
many who had sworn to observe the Rules of the Blanket
Company, and several, too, were fined for defalcations,
the amount forfeited being, in most cases, one shilling.
The second Master was William Early, and the
Early family has been ever since bound up with the
trade of the town ; indeed it is said to be the oldest
manufacturing family, of one trade, in any town in
England. The lives of two John Earlys, father and son,
covered the space of time from 1706 to 1829 — 123 years,
and the latter of the two, born in 1742, with his son
lived in their two lives a period of 134 years, to the year
1876: Truly remarkable instances of longevity, and
which speak volumes for the hardihood of the stock
from which they came, as well as for the healthiness of
the calling which they adopted. Whether with modern
conditions they would be able to attain such great a^es
is a question which will not easily be answered.
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 73
FINES FOR OFFENCES.
But to proceed with the Minute Book of the
Company. On the 4th of December, 171 1, within a year
of the granting of the Charter, we find the following : —
" Richard Turner was fined five shillings for working
" with his apprentice, and employing and working a loom
" when a journeyman wanted work, and offered to work
" in such loom."
Then follow many fines for offences against the laws
of the Company, such as " making a stockful of blankets,
eleven quarters and a half quarter wide," "for working
with his daughter at a loom, and at the same time
refusing to give work to a journeyman, who then wanted
work." The fine imposed in the last instance, G.
Greenaway, the delinquent, refused to pay, till the
wardens began to make preparations for distraining on
his goods. Of course, we live in very different times,
but, nevertheless, it is extremely difficult to say who
could have been the gainers by the absurd restrictions
which have been quoted. Undoubtedly, the bringing of
Blankets to the Hall to be examined, to ascertain
whether they were of the necessary quality, can be easily
perceived to have been of service, but apart from this
the advantage of so many restrictions is exceedingly
puzzling. At the same Court, that Mr. Greenaway met
with the displeasure of the Company, there appears
another name which is yet honourably known in Witney
to this day.
" Edward Dutton is fined twenty shillings for making
" a stockful of blankets, and stuff for petty coats, thirty
" six yards long and eight quarters and a half quarter
74 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" wide contrary to the good ordinances and by-laws of
" this Company."
The above is a sample of many fines for similar
offences, and what is really curious, and not a little
extraordinary, is the fact that, at any rate in the early
days of the Company, the fines were remitted with the
following remark : —
" It appears to be a mistake on the defaulter's part."
The only fine, at this period in the History
of the Company, which seems to have been really
imposed, with the exception of the one noted above,
and not remitted, was one on the Hall-Keeper,
who was mulcted in the sum of five shillings, for
neglecting his duty. Still, whether the fines were
exacted or not, it is easy to see that now and then there
would be those who, perhaps, never wanted a Company
at all, and who chafed exceedingly under its discipline.
So we find in 171 2 one member who actually had the
temerity to walk into the room, where the principal
officers were assembled, carrying a piece of paper, which
was thrown insolently on the table in front of them, and
found to be actually " a bill for the charge (which he had
of course paid previously) of his admission into the
Company," and before the worthy officers had time to
recover from their astonishment, the piece of paper was
picked up, and the impudent individual had again
Walked from the room. No wonder he was fined, though
whether this was remitted is not known. Still the
Company increased, and in 1712, there were as many as
115 on the books; the fines, too, continuing to be
inflicted, and the remitting of them also. Mr. Marriott,
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 7$
(whose descendants live in Witney now) appears to have
been the greatest offender, and it is amusing to find the
number of times he came under the Company's notice,
for the very same offence, the fines being remitted in
each instance, with the remark, " it appearing to be a
mistake on the defaulter's part." There seems, however,
to have been the greatest impartiality displayed in the
imposing of the fines, for in 171 2, the worshipful Master
himself, was " ffined two several sums of 20/- for carrying
two stockfuls to the Dye House, before the same were
brought to the Hall to be weighed."
It is not a little curious, too, that the very first
wardens appointed by the Company appear to have
been desirous of retaining the fines in their hands, and it
was not till proceedings had been commenced against
them, that they paid the sums which had been entrusted
to their care.
Then after the first two years the imposing of fines
was carried on much more strictly, and perhaps as a
consequence of this, many weavers appear to have left
the town in order to carry on Blanket making where
there were no restrictions, and the number on the Books
in the year named, went down to 68.
DINNER FOR THE COMPANY.
In 1 714, the usual characteristics of Englishmen
begin to manifest themselves, and there is the following : — •
" It is agreed that Mrs. Townsend be desired to
" provide a Dinner for the Company, at the next meeting
" following, and the Company will allow sixpence for
" every person that dines, out of the Company's stock."
76 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
The members appear to have been, at first,
accompanied by their wives. This very proper custom,
however, did not last long, for in 1721, we have the
following entry : —
"At this Meeting it was agreed by the whole
" Company, that the Feast made by the late Master, at
" his going out of Office, was by direction of the said
" Company ; but it is agreed that no Feast shall at any
" time, hereafter, be made for the wives of the Members
" of the Company."
History has mercifully spared us any account of the
way in which those who had been so rudely turned away
from the Company's table resented this very improper
proceeding. Ways and means were found, doubtless, as
they would be now.
Of the discipline, which after the first year became
so severe, there is an instance in 171 8, when it is stated
that " Robert Collier, one of the assistants of this
Company, is fined ^"10 for taking an apprentice before
his former apprentice was out of his apprenticeship, so
that he has now two apprentices at the same time, which
fine he immediately laid down," (no doubt expecting it
would be remitted, but unfortunately for Mr. Collier)
" on a vote of the said Company, no part of the same was
" remitted to him."
Then from 1720 to 1730, the numbers diminished
very considerably, though it does not appear that this
affected the general prosperity of the Company, for in
1 72 1 a new Hall was built, in which the weighing and
marking of the blankets might go on. Most remarkable
is the way in which some of the wardens behaved at this
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 77
period, and many are the recorded fines, still more
curious is the following entry : —
" 1729. John Wiggins, a member of this Company,
" is fined two shillings for abusing and speaking of vile,
" indecent, and scurrilous language of the master and
" assistants of this Company, in open Court, and
" particularly for calling the present master rogue in the
" same Court." And again, in the following year, several
members are fined, "for speaking vile and scurrilous
" language, and reviling the assistants of the Company."
The causes which led to the use of the
above language are not given, but if the wrath of Mr.
Wiggins, and others, proceeded from the ridiculous
restrictions such as that concerning the number of
apprentices they should keep, or the employing of a
journeyman, whether, it may be, they had the money
to pay him or not ; and if the language employed was
not of a very immoderate nature, we may be, perhaps,
excused for sympathizing with the men who were, in the
battle of life, hampered in no small degree.
" 1732. Ordered for the future that the Company's
"dinner be ready on table by 12 of the clock, and that
" such of the Company as shall not appear by one of the
" clock (whether the books be brought up or not) to be
"fined one shilling each, and no excuse, except sickness
" or London journeys."
This Dinner appears to have been held generally in
the Feast week, and venison was the principal viand,
though, of course, the meat was not confined to this
alone, as may be gathered from a number of curious
receipts in the possession of Mr. Charles Early, J.P,
78
HISTORY OF WITNEY.
The pewter dishes, which were used on these occasions,
numbered nearly forty ; the Loving Cup, which is a
flagon of solid silver, holding about three pints, may still
be seen. On the latter are engraved the
Master.
Wardens.
B
BLANKET MAKERS' ARMS,
With B. on one side, C. on the other ; underneath
are the following names : —
THOMAS DOLLEY,
ALEX. KENT, )
JOHN SHOWEL, f
1732.
And when we imagine the large Hall of the
Company ; tables covered with silver and pewter ; on
the wall that fine painting of Queen Anne, which is yet
to be seen, we may, perhaps, form some little idea of the
feasts of the Witney Blanket Weavers 1 50 years ago.
" The London journeys," which are spoken of, were
indeed events of a most serious nature. The
manufacturer was obliged, in those days, to visit the
Metropolis frequently, for the Company possessed a
warehouse in London, to which the greater part of the
manufacturer's goods were sent, unless he had the good
luck to be employed on special orders. So taking an
affectionate leave of his family, after, as was generally the
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 79
case, making his will, our trader would take the fast
Gloucester coach, sleep at Henley, on the way, and so
reach London at some indefinite time the next day. His
business very often enforced him to stay in town six or
seven weeks, after which he would retrace his steps to
Witney, his pockets bulky with letters which he brought
for his brother manufacturers, in order to save the
postage, then no inconsiderable matter.
The failings of the age, too, appear to have
crept into the Company, for in 1735 there is the
" following : — " Some of the assistants fined ten shillings,
" reduced to four shillings, which was spent in wine, with
" their voluntary consent."
A remarkably easy way of paying fines, and as the
entry was not made, in all probability, for some time, it
is pardonable to wonder if the fine of ten shillings was
reduced to four, after the wine had been discussed.
Was it, too, on such an occasion, when the liquor had
made the Members more than usually sensible of their
own importance, that the following solitary resolution
was passed ?
" That any person who seeks out the secrets of this
" Company shall meet with the Company's displeasure."
Really one is puzzled to know what the secrets
could have been, still more in what manner the Company
could have made " their displeasure " felt by those who
presumed to gain knowledge respecting the manufacture
of blankets.
It is clear, from the following entry, that there were
those who did try to break through the restrietions of
the Company.
8o HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" 1738. Ordered by this Court that the Wardens
give notice forthwith unto John Coxeter and Thomas
Silky, not to presume to follow the trade of Blanket
Weavers in Witney, or within 20 miles thereof, and in
case they shall presume to offend against this order, it
is further ordered that an action be brought in the name
of this Company, to recover the several penalties by
them respectively incurred, by not observing the
By-laws of this Company, as well as for all past offences,
as for those which shall hereafter be committed, the
expenses whereof to be paid by the Master for the time
being, out of the stock of this Company."
In the same year, too, there is the following entry : —
" This day, William Bird came and desired to have
" Jason Shepherd, his apprentice, turned over to serve
" the remainder of his term to Mr. Shuffrey; but Bird
" and Shuffrey (both being in arrear) refused to pay their
" dues to the Hall, and the said Bird refused to give a
" note not to take another apprentice until his present
'' apprentice's term was expired. After several questions,
" for and against it, Bird declared that he had wool
" enough and yarn enough, and would immediately settle
" to work and make blankets, but would never bring
" any more goods to the Hall of this Company."
It will be easily perceived that it was a very
great inconvenience to be obliged to come to the
Company's Hall about such small matters, as the turning
over of an apprentice to another manufacturer, it may
also have been inconvenient to pay the dues which the
Company demanded. In these matters it is right to
sympathise with Mr. Bird, and also with respect to his
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 8 I
determination to work for the future, without being
hedged in with ridiculous regulations ; only with regard
to the latter, it is quite certain that the Company had
power to prevent him carrying his threats into execution,
at any rate within 20 miles of Witney ; but when the
same weaver goes on to use opprobrious language, even
to call the Master " fool," and that not secretly, but " in
open court," where all might hear, and afterwards
discuss such a serious matter from one end of the town
to the other, then there can be little doubt but that Mr.
Bird overstepped the bounds of discretion altogether.
The trade, however, continued and prospered in
spite of the impeding conditions under which it was
carried on ; but it is not till 1769 that we get any
information, from an outside point of view, of the woollen
manufacture at Witney : then there is the following
account : —
" Being so near Witney, we could not forbear taking a ride to see
a town so noted for the manufacture of blanketing and rugs, which
thrive here in a most extraordinary manner. Mere are at work 150
looms, continually, for which above 3,00c people, from eight years old
and upwards, are daily employed in carding, spinning, &c, and
consume above 100 packs of wool weekly. The blankets are usually ten
or twelve quarters wide, and very white, which some attribute to the
abstersive nitrous waters of the river Windrush, wherewith they are
scoured, but others believe it is owing to a peculiar way of 1
spinning they use here, and others again, are of opinion that it
proceeds from both. But, however that may be, this town h ing ed
the whole trade in this commodity. They likewise make here the
Duffield Stuffs, a yard and three quarters wide, which are carried to
New England and \ irginia, and much worn, even here, in winter "
" Here are likewise a great many fellmongers, who having dressed
and stained their sheep skins, make them into jackets and breeches
82 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
and sell them at Bampton ; from whence they are dispersed
all over the neighbouring counties. Here is a good free school and fine
library belonging to it. Witney is an ancient town, and was of good
repute before the Norman invasion, but it is a long, straggling, uncouth
place, though full of inhabitants. 'Twas one of the manors which
Alwinus, bishop of Winchester, gave to the Church of St. Swithin
there, on Queen Emma's happily passing the fire ordeal. Southward
lies Bampton, on the borders of the county next Berkshire. It is an
ancient market town, likewise in repute before the Norman invasion,
It is noted for the greatest market for fellmonger wares in England_
which come from Witney."
We are able, also, to trace some of those who
succeeded Earl Harcourt in the office of High Steward ;
for newspapers began to appear in the course of the early-
part of the 1 8th century, and from the old columns of
one, we extract the following : —
" Janry 3rd, 1754. On Monday last the Master and
" some of the Assistants of the Company of Blanket
" Weavers, inhabiting Witney, or within 20 miles thereof,
" attended by the Clerk to the said Company, waited on
" his Grace the Duke of Marlborough, at Blenheim, by
" desire of the whole Company, to beg that his Grace
" would do the Company the honour to accept the Office
" of High Steward of the said Company, then vacant by
" the death of their worthy benefactor, the Earl of
" Clarendon and Rochester, their late High Steward,
" which office his Grace was most graciously pleased to
" accept."
And as the Duke was pleased, the report goes on to
say, to entertain the whole company at dinner, " in the
most elegant manner," the function, as we should now
call it, was doubtless a very pleasing ;one.
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 83
The Government, too, appear to have paid some
attention to the desires of the Witney manufacturers, for
in 1775, when the latter petitioned with respect to the
duty on rape seed, the oil from which was then
extensively used in the making of blankets, the exactions
were taken off.
A great day it was, in 1788, when John Early, the
Master, and many others belonging to the Company, set
out for Nuneham, in order to present to King George and
Queen Charlotte a pair of blankets, as a token of their
esteem. With regard to the details of this visit nothing
is recorded. Nuneham Court was then, as now, occupied
by the Harcourt family, who had more than a century
before pulled down their house at Stanton Harcourt, in
order to erect a still more stately mansion at Nuneham,
and it was to visit them that the King and Queen came
to this part of the country.
HOW BLANKETS WERE MANUFACTl RE] > A CENTURY AGO.
It is possible, from a written description which an
old townsman left behind him, to show, in some manner,
how Witney manufacturers carried on their business in
the latter part of the last century and the beginning of
the present. It was a time of revolutionary changes, so
far as the woollen manufacture was concerned.
Arkwright and Compton were at this very time
perfecting their Cotton spinning frames ; Peel and
I hirst were bringing new and ingenious inventions to
bear upon the woollen manufacture ; James Watt, too,
was perfecting the Steam Engine, and revolutionizing
almost all industries. But these innovations did not
84 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
touch Witney for a long time. The trade was carried
on for some years after the 19th century dawned in the
same way as it had been for centuries.
Our Witney manufacturer was then up at 3 or 4
o'clock in the morning, loading his packhorse with wool
and oil, though, if he were fortunate enough to possess a
cart, this was used instead. The wool and oil were
taken to all the towns and villages in the neighbourhood
within a distance of several miles, even extending to
Aldsworth, in Gloucestershire. The women of a village
being assembled, generally in a barn lent for the
occasion, received an allotted quantity of wool and oil,
and brought in what they had spun since the previous
visit, made up in bundles — pads they were called — and
and these pads were afterwards stored up by the
manufacturer till he had occasion to use them. Most of
the spinning was done in the winter months, for then
the agricultural labourer was not required so much in
the fields. It was usual for the husband and big boys to
card the wool, and for the women and girls to spin it.
The machinery used was the good old humming wheel,
and many an old woman whose work, so far as most
other active pursuits were concerned, was at an end,
could earn sufficient to keep her from the dreaded
Poorhouse. So we can picture many a family engaged
in the manner indicated, working through the long
winter evenings, with no other light than that afforded
by a bunch of rushes, which had been dipped in tallow.
The woollen manufacture, it will be seen, was carried on
then under far healthier conditions than it is now.
There were no great factories filled with engines of all
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 85
shapes and sizes, and the only mill then known, was one
for fulling ; the wool was converted into yarn, quietly and
peacefully at home, where in the day time the inmates
might see the flowers of the garden instead of the
movements of machinery, hissing and groaning under
their eyes. It will be easily seen that steam has robbed
this part of the country in no small degree, for the
agricultural labourer has now, in the winter evenings,
very little to engage his attention. How different was
it when, after his work in the fields, he was able to trudge
home, seat himself in the midst of his family, and with
their help, not only amuse himself, but earn also a sum,
which though not large, was yet of no small importance
to him. This is a long time ago, so long that there are
few, if any, who can remember when the system was
fully in use, and with the death of the remembrance of
it there has also departed all knowledge of the benefits
which it conferred. Nevertheless, the loss to the
agricultural labourers has been heavy, and there is no
remedy. Of course there was a good deal of rivalry
between the various manufacturers with respect to the
spinners ; a man's trade depended entirely upon the
amount of spinning which he could get executed, and so
it will be easily imagined that many an angry feud has
been occasioned by one manufacturer poaching on what
may be termed another's village preserves. The pads
of yarn were twisted up with a thick stick, and this led
to a curious custom of the Quill winders, who were
accustomed t<> pre - :rve these sticks, and pic -nil them to
the wile of the manufacturer, claiming, what seems n<>t
to have been refused, a jolification of pancakes and ale
86 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
on Shrove Tuesday. The Tuckers of Messrs C. Early
and Co have a dinner now, every Shrove Tuesday, at
which it is usual for the head of the firm to preside.
In those days the apprentices dined with the family
and " roly-poly " pudding was served first ; those who
had most pudding being allowed to have most meat,
though, probably, the custom resulted in a judicious
saving of the latter.
The Company still existed ; every manufacturer
being, as of old, obliged to make his blankets
of a particular weight, and compelled to take
them, when finished, to the Blanket Hall to be stamped
with the Company's seal ; and every apprentice being
still sworn in on the Bible, which Mr. John White, the
first Master, presented to the Company. But the
competition with the machinery of the North was
beginning to tell a tale, the trade began to languish,
many failures took place, and had not Witney had the
good fortune to have possessed some inhabitants of
remarkable enterprise, every vestige of the trade would
have departed. As it was, several of the most intelligent
went to Newbury, so as to be out of the reach of the
absurd regulations. So long as the system could be
carried on properly, it was beneficial in compelling the
manufacturer to produce a good article, and perhaps it
was during the existence of the Company that Witney
blankets became renowned for their excellence ; but
when competition with a cheaper article, which the men
of the North produced, first appeared, it marked the
period when the Witney Blanket Company ceased to be
of service. The members, however, continued to meet,
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 87
at any rate for the Annual Feast. A few of the old
manufacturers, at this festive gathering, still hurled
threats at those who began openly to break the
regulations, and soon, as a writer, whom I have before
quoted, observes, " they were engaged in discussing not
the quality of the blankets, but other matters, which
would prepare them for sleep in an)- blankets." The
Company was finally dissolved in 1847.
It has been stated that the entire woollen industry
would have departed from Witney long ago had it not
been for the enterprise of some of its inhabitants, and
surely, in any history of the place they so much
benefitted their names should be recorded, and, so far
as may be, a slight mention made of the work they
accomplished in saving the trade of the town.
FIRST INTRODUCTION OF MACHINERY.
The first effort made at Witney to initiate the
machinery, which had done such wonders to the North
of England, consisted of an engine, turned by two men,
with a handle on each side of the cylinder. This was
followed by a gigantic cog-wheel, propelled by a handle,
and, it is probable, there may be those yet living who
remember when these wheels were in use. Edmund
Wright and Thomas Townsend were two of the first
manufacturers to employ machinery. The former was
unfortunately killed by falling into the pit of the
wheel at New Mills. Many stories were soon
circulated with reference to his supposed re-appearance,
while the people in the villages round (who perceived
that if the introduction of machinery were attended with
88 HISTORY OK WITNKV.
good results their services would not be required in
the making of yarn) were not slow to attribute his death
to a judgment from Heaven for seeking to take away
their work. A plain stone in the old Churchyard, on
the way to the station, marks Mr. Wright's last resting
place. Other members of the family have since left
evidences of the regard in which they hold Witney,
(though they no longer live there) to which reference
will be made later on. The foresight of Mr. William
Long had much to do with the success of the trade
in the first two decades of the present century, and when
in 1818 New Mills were burnt down, they were erected
again by Paul Harris, and Edward and John Early, and
vastly improved machinery was also introduced ; in fact
the effort made at New Mills at this time may be
regarded as the first serious attempt to endeavour to
compete with the North of England.
BLANKET MANUFACTURE TO-DAY.
Since that time the staple trade of Witney has
rapidly progressed, and to-day, thanks to the enterprise
of Messrs. Early, and Messrs. Smith, which firms have
been so long and so honourably associated with the town
and trade, Witney stands foremost in the blanket trade,
and its reputation for the excellence of the goods
manufactured is greater than ever. The manufacturers
of to-day spare neither pains nor expense to secure the
best machinery which modern skill has invented ; and
now instead of the simple handy-work of the villagers,
with their batting cards and humming wheels, they have
large factories, driven by steam and water power. The
wool passes through the various processes of willeying,
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 89
oiling, feeding, scribbling, carding, condensing, till the
self-acting mule completes the thread, and turns it out
ready for the warping machine and the power loom. In
the olden times the weaver's looms were of a very
primitive construction ; the journeyman standing on
one side, and the apprentice on the other, threw the
shuttle across from one to the other. A great
improvement on this was made in the " Spring Loom,"
by which one man was able to do the work of two ; and
now, in these modern days, the hand loom has been
superceded by the power loom ; and in the after
processes of finishing, modern machinery enables the
manufacturers to produce a much more sightly article
than could his predecessors in olden times.
The qualities, which at the present time specially
commend the Witney Blankets, are color, softness,
fulness in hand, warmth without weight, and durability.
And though the present day rage for cheapness has
obliged the manufacturers of 1894 to produce a lower
article than his predecessors of 1694, yet those who act
on the wise axiom, " the best is the cheapest," will be
able to procure Witney Blankets of present day
make, possessing all the intrinsic qualities of those of
former times, but with vastly improved appearance. The
restrictions of former times, under the old Company,
may, or may not, have had their beneficial uses, but
they would be simply intolerable now, and the Witney
manufacturer of to-day, unshackled by these, is free to
make the goods which he finds to be most suited to the
various markets of the world. Witney manufacturing
now stands in the front rank, and is rapidly increasing.
90 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
THE BLANKET COMPANY'S CHARTER.
Copy of Letters, Patents to Company of Blanket
Weavers, 23rd May, 10th., of Queen Ann, 1710 : —
" Ann by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France
" and Ireland, queen, defender of the Faith, and so
" forth : — To all to whom these presents shall come,
" greeting, — Whereas divers of our well beloved subjects,
" the blankett weavers, inhabiting in and near Witney,
" in our county of Oxon, in behalf of themselves and
" others following the said trade, complaining of many
" frauds, and abuses of late practiced in the deceitful
" working up of blanketts, to the great scandal,
" impoverishment, and decay of the said trade, and the
" manufacturers thereof, which for want of some
" established government amongst them, they are not
" able to prevent ; and having therefore by their
" petition humbly prayed us to be incorporated, for the
"preservation and improvement of the said trade and
" manufacture, with such powers and restrictions, as to
" us should seem meet : Wee, being willing to encourage
" and promote all arts and manufactures, tending to the
"public good, are graciously pleased to condescend to
" their request. Know ye, therefore that wee of our
" especial grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion,
" have granted, constituted, declared, ordained, and
" appointed, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and
" successors, doe grant, constitute, declare, ordain, and
" appoint that all, and every such persons, who are
" qualified by law, as blankett weavers, to use and
" exercise the art and mistery of blankett weaving in
" Witney, aforesaid, or twenty miles round the same, be
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 9 1
" incorporated by the name of the Master, Assistant,
" Wardens, and Commonalty of biankett weavers,
" inhabiting in Witney, in the county of Oxon, or
"within twenty miles thereof, and them by the name of
" the Master, Assistants, Wardens, and Commonalty of
" biankett weavers, inhabiting in Witney, in the county
" of Oxon, or within twenty miles thereof, we do really
" and fully, for us our heirs and successors, make, erect,
" ordain, constitute, establish, confirm, and declare, by
" these presents, to be one body, corporate and politick
" in deed, and in name for ever. And we do hereby for
" us, our heirs, and successors, grant and declare, that by
" the same name of the Master, Assistants, Wardens, and
" Commonalty of biankett weavers, inhabiting in
"Witney, in the county of Oxon, or within twenty
" miles thereof, they shall have perpetual succession, and
" by that name for ever hereafter, shall, and may plead,
" and be impleaded, sue, and be sued, answer and be
" answered unto, defend and be defended, in whatsoever
" courts and places, and before any judges, justices, and
" officers of us, our heirs and successors, in all, and singular
" actions, pleas, suits, matters, and demands of what
" nature, kind, or quality soever they shall be, in the
" same manner and form, and as fully, and as amply, as
" any of our subjects, within that part of our united
" kingdom of Great Britain, called England, may or can
" do, plead or be impleaded, sue, or be sued, answer or
" be answered unto, defend or be defended. Amd that
"the said Company of the Master, Assistants, Wardens,
" commonalty of biankett weavers, inhabiting in Witney,
" in the county of Oxon, or within twenty miles thereof,
92 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
and their successors for ever hereafter, shall and may-
have, and use a common seal for the affairs, and
business of the said Corporation : and the same seal
from time to time, at their will and pleasure, break,
change, alter or make new, as to them shall seem
expedient. And further, for the due and orderly
regulating and government of the said corporation,
hereby made and erected, we will, and by these
presents for us, our heirs and successors, do grant,
declare, ordain, and appoint, that from henceforth, for
ever there shall be a High Steward, one Master, eight
or more Assistants, and two Wardens of the said
Company. The said assistants not to exceed twenty
in number, to be constituted, and chosen in such a
manner, as hereafter in these presents is expressed, and
specified. And for the better execution of our royal
will and pleasure, herein we have made,
ordained, nominated, constituted, and appointed,
and by these presents, for us our heirs and
successors, make, nominate, constitute, and appoint
our right trusty and well-beloved cousin, and
councillor, Henry, Earl of Rochester, to be the
first and present High Steward of the said Company,
to continue during his life. And that all future High
Stewards of the said Company shall and may be elected
by the Master, Assistants, and Wardens of the said
Company for the time being, or the major part of
them, whereof the Master to be one, on two days'
notice in court assembled, and to continue during' life."
" And we have made, ordained, nominated,
" constituted, and appointed and by these presents, for
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 93
" us our heirs and successors, make, ordain, nominate,
" constitute, and appoint our well beloved subject, John
" White, senior, to be the first and present Master of the
" said Company, hereby incorporated, to continue in the
" said office till the Monday before the first day of
"Michaelmas term next, ensuing, the date of these
" presents, and from thence until some other fit person
" shall be duly elected, sworn and admitted into the said
'■office."
" And we have likewise made, ordained, nominated,
" constituted, and appointed, and do, by these presents,
" for us our heirs and successors, make, ordain, nominate,
" constitute, and appoint, our well beloved subjects,
"Thomas Early, Thomas Johnson, Edward Bird,
" Michael Boughin, William Rogers, William Jones,
"William Townsend, Thomas Boulton, and the said
" Master to be the first and present Assistants of the said
"Company. To hold and enjoy their said several and
" respective offices, for and during their said several and
" respective lives, unless they, or any of them, shall
" happen to be removed for reasonable and just cause by
" the Master, Assistants, and Wardens of the said
" Company for the time being, or the major part of
" them (whereof the master to be one), on two days'
" notice, in court assembled. To whom we do hereby,
" for us our heirs and successors, give full power and
" authority to remove any of the said assistants of the
" said Company from time to time, accordingly."
"And we have also made, ordained, nominated,
" constituted, and appointed, and do by these presents,
" for us our heirs and successors, make, ordain, nominate,
94 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" constitute, and appoint, our well beloved subjects
" William Boughin and John Cowell, to be the first and
" present Wardens of the said Company, to continue in
" their said respective offices till the Monday before the
" first day of Michaelmas Term next, ensuing, the date
" of these presents, and from thence until other fit
" persons shall be duly elected, sworn and admitted into
" the said office. And further, we will and by these
" presents, for us our heirs and successors do grant to the
"Master, Assistants, Wardens, and Commonalty of
" blankett weavers, inhabiting in Witney, in the county
" of Oxon, or within twenty miles thereof aforesaid, and
" their successors for ever shall and may have one honest
" and discreet person to be clerk of the said Company ;
" and we have assigned, nominated, constituted and
" appointed, and by these presents for us our heirs and
"successors, do assign, nominate, constitute, and appoint
" our well beloved subject, James Hall, gent, to be the
" first and present clerk of the said Company by himself
" or his sufficient deputy for and during his life, unless
" he happen to be removed, for reasonable and just
" cause, by the Master, Assistants and Wardens of the
" said Company, for the time being, or the major part of
" them, (whereof the master to be one) on two days'
" notice in court assembled, to whom we do hereby for
" us, our heirs and successors, give full power and
" authority to remove the clerk of the said Company
" from time to time, accordingly. And that after the
" death or removal of the said James Hall, all future
" clerks of the said Company shall and may be, from
" time to time, chosen by the Master, Assistants and
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 95
" Wardens of the said Company, for the time being, or
" the major part of them, (whereof the master to be one)
" on two days' notice in court assembled, and shall hold
" and enjoy the said office during the pleasure of the
" Master, Assistants and Wardens of the said Company.
"And we do hereby, for us our heirs and successors,
" grant unto the Master, Assistants and Wardens, and
" Commonalty of blankett weavers, inhabiting in
" Witney, in the county of Oxon, or within twenty
" miles thereof, aforesaid, and their successors, that it
" shall and may be lawful to and for the Master,
" Assistants and Wardens of the said Company for the
" time being, or the major part of them (whereof the
" master to be one), on two days' notice, in court
" assembled, to elect yearly on the Monday before the
" first day Michaelmas term, or within fourteen days
" after, a Master out of the Assistants of the said
" Company, and the two Wardens out of the Commonalty
" thereof. And that it shall and may be lawful to and
" for Assistants of the said Company, or the major part
" of them, upon due notice to all the assistants thereof,
" from time to time, upon the death of the Master or
" Wardens of the said Company, to choose another
" Master out of the Assistants of the said Company, and
" other Wardens out of the Commonalty thereof. And
" that such persons as shall have served the office of
" Master or Warden, be capable of being chosen Master
" or Warden again. And our will and pleasure is, and
"we do hereby, for us our heirs and successors, ordain
" and appoint, that upon the death or removal of any of
" the Assistants of the said Company, it shall and may be
96 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
''lawful to and for the Master, Assistants and Wardens
"of the said Company, for the time being, or the major
"part of them, (whereof the Master to be one), in
" two days' notice, in court assembled, to elect
" others in their places, out of the Wardens and
"Commonalty of the said Company. And that the said
" court shall, and may, make up the number of the
" Assistants (twenty), when they shall see occasion. And
" likewise that it shall, and may be lawful to, and for the
"Master, Assistants, and Wardens, of the said Company,
"for the time being, or the major part of them, whereof
" the Master to be one, on two days notice, in court
" assembled, from time to time, to choose, and continue
" all inferior offices, at their will and pleasure. And of
" our special grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion,
" we have granted, ordained, and appointed, and by
" those presents for us, our heirs, and successors do grant,
" ordain, and appoint, that it shall, and may be lawful, to
" and for the master, assistants, and wardens, of the said
" Company, for the time being, or the major part of
" them, from time to time, to admit into the said
" Company, all and every person, and persons inhabiting
" within or without the limits aforesaid, being duly
" qualified to use and exercise the said art and mystery,
" who shall desire to become members of the said
" Company, and that no person be admitted to any office
" belonging to the said Company, until he shall have
" taken an oath for the due execution thereof, as
" hereafter in those presents is directed. And we do
" hereby, for us our heirs and successors, ordain, direct,
" and appoint, that the present Master, and Assistants of
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 97
" the said Company shall, before they be admitted to
" their several and respective offices, take an oath for the
" due execution of the same, before one or more justice,
" or justices, of the peace in our said county of Oxon, to
" whom we do by these presents, for us our heirs and
" successors, give full power and anthority to administer
" the same accordingly. And that afterwards the
" Wardens shall, in like manner, before they be admitted
" to their respective offices, take an oath for the due
" execution of the same, before the Master and Assistants
" of the said Company, or the major part of them, to
" whom we do by these presents, for us, our heirs and
" successors, give full power and authority to administer
" the same accordingly. And that for the future, it
" shall and may be lawful, to and for the Assistants of the
" said Company, or any three of them, to administer
" such oath to the Master, and the Master afterwards to
" the Assistants, and the Master or Assistants, or any
" three of them afterwards to the Warden, or any other
" officer belonging to the said Company. To all and
" each of whom we do hereby, for us our heirs and
" successors, give full power and authority to administer
" the same accordingly, and we do hereby, for us our
" heirs and successors, give and grant unto the Master,
"Assistants, Wardens, and Commonalty of blankett
" weavers, inhabiting in Witney, in the county of Oxon,
" or within twenty miles thereof, aforesaid, or their
" successors, or the major part of them, whereof the
" Master to be one, on two days' notice, full power and
" authority to keep a court where, when, and as often as
" they shall see convenient, within the limits aforesaid.
98 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" And that it shall, and may be lawful, to and for the
" said Master, Assistants, Wardens, and Commonalty, or
" the major part of them, in a general court, assembled
" there to consult, concerning the affairs and business of
" the said Company, and to prepare, make, ordain, and
" constitute, such, and so many good and wholesome
" by-laws, rules, orders, and ordinances for the regulating
" of the said trade, and preventing abuses therein, by the
" members of the said Company, and for the well
" ordering, rule, and government of the said Company,
" and the members thereof, and also to set, impose, and
" inflict reasonable pains, penalities, and punishments,
" fines, amerciaments, or otherwise upon such offender or
" offenders, as shall transgress, break, or violate the said
" by-laws, rules, orders, or ordinances, so to be made as
" aforesaid. And likewise that it shall and may be
" lawful, to and for the said Court, the said by-laws,
" rules, orders, or ordinances to alter, annul, or make
" void, as to them shall seem expedient. Provided
" always that the said by-laws, rules, orders, and
" ordinances, be reasonable, and not repugnant, or
" contrary to law. And we do hereby, for us, our heirs
" and successors, grant unto the Master, Assistants, and
" Wardens of the said Company for the time being,
" whereof the Master for the time being to be one, full
" power and authority, to put the said by-laws, rules,
" orders, and ordinances in execution, and the said pains
" and penalties, from time to time, to mitigate or remit,
" as to them shall seem meet and expedient, which said
" fines and amerciaments, we will, and do hereby, for us
" our heirs and successors, grant, shall and may be levied
THE WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 99
"sued for, taken, retained, and recovered by the Master,
" Assistants, Wardens, and Commonalty of blankett
"weavers, inhabiting in Witney, in the county of Oxon,
" or within twenty miles thereof. To the sole use,
" benefit and advantage of the Master, Assistants, Wardens
" and Commonalty of blankett weavers, inhabiting in
" Witney, in the county of Oxon, or within twenty
" miles thereof, aforesaid, and their successors, without
" any account or accounts, to be rendered to us, our
" heirs or successors for the same. All and singular,
" which said by-laws, rules, orders, and ordinances, so as
" aforesaid to be made, we do hereby for us, our heirs,
" and successors, will and command shall be duly
" observed and kept, under the pains and penalties
" therein contained. And we do hereby, for us our
" heirs and successors, will and require, authorize,
" and command all, and singular, our Judges, Justices of
" Peace, Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, Head-
" boroughs, and all other, the Officers and Ministers,
" whatsoever, of us our heirs respectively be, from time
" to time, in their several and respective offices, favouring
" aiding, and assisting unto the Master, Assistants,
" Wardens and Commonalty of blankett weavers,
" inhabiting in Witney, in the county of Oxon, or
" within twenty miles thereof, aforesaid, and their
"successors, their officers, agents, and servants in all
" things, as becometh, according to our Royal will and
" pleasure, herein declared, and the true intent and
" meaning of these presents. And lastly, we do hereby,
"for us our heirs and successors, grant unto the Master,
"Assistants, Wardens, and Commonalty of blankett
100 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" weavers inhabiting Witney, in the county of Oxon, or
"within twenty miles therof, aforesaid, and their
" successors, that these, our letters pattents, or the
" inrollment thereof, shall be in and by all things good,
" firm, valid, sufficient, and effectual in the law, according
" to the true intent and meaning thereof, and shall be
"taken, construed, and adjudged, in the most favourable
" and benefical sense, for the best advantage of the said
" Company and their successors, as well in all our courts
" of record elsewhere, and by all, and singular, the
" officers and ministers whatsoever of us, our heirs and
" successors, notwithstanding any defect, incertainty,
" omission or imperfection in these, our letters pattents,
" or any other matter, cause, or thing whatsoever to the
" contrary, in anywise, notwithstanding."
" In witness whereof we have caused these, our
letters, to be made pattents."
" Witness ourself at Westminster, the three and
twentieth day of May, in the tenth year of our reign.
By write of privy seal. Corks."
■N@xKr
CHAPTER V
ftlje Court ICect ant) Borougl) Eccorfts.
XTHOUGH, now, the Court Leet at Witney is called
together with very little other object than that of
keeping up an old custom, all its important uses having
been abolished by the County Magistracy, County
Council, and Local Board, yet it was at one time the most
important, as it is the most ancient, of any Court in our
Constitution. It consisted mainly of a jury, presided over
by a Steward, who in this, acted as Deputy to the Lord
of the Manor, the latter representing the authority
of the Crown. As was pointed out in a previous
Chapter, the Saxon had the most workable form
of local self-government which the world has ever
seen. But when Norman William came, with his
band of conquerors, the good elective machinery
of the Saxons was abolished, and as the collection
of taxes was the main object, at first, of Norman
government, the principal official seems to have
102 HISTORY OK WITNEY.
been the Chancellor of the Exchequer. So instead of
officials, who had been known as Sheriffs in Saxon times,
there came others, with such names as indicate their
origin — Viscounts, i.e. Vicecomites, and for those, who
had in happier days presided over Boroughs such as
Witney, there arose others who were called Provosts,
but whether Viscounts or Provosts the work they were
obliged to engage themselves in was essentially the same,
namely, that of grinding every penny they could from
the unfortunate English. Of course this was only for
a time ; a period soon arrived when the distinction
between Norman and Englishman ceased to exist, and
then the Government which ensued was an imitation of
what had existed in an earlier age. Perhaps it was in
Norman days that the Court Leet of Witney was
constituted, for the word Bailiff (the name for the chief
official of the Court Leet) is said to be of Norman origin,
and a corruption of Bailwickreve, or it may have been
that when the Saxon form of Government was in some
measure restored, that the name Bailiff was still retained
instead of the more ancient Borough-reeve.
No doubt the Bailiffs of Witney were elected
openly, as were our Members of Parliament till election
by ballot was adopted ; and if the scenes which took
place at the hustings resembled those which are just
beginning to die out of memory, when representatives
for St. Stephen's were chosen by open voting, the
necessity of electing these officials at a Court Leet will
be well understood. Perhaps the introduction of the
blanket manufacture altered ancient good manners, and
elections which had at one time been carried on in a
THE COURT LEET AND BOROUGH RECORDS. IO^
very proper manner became remarkable for scenes of
disorder. However this may have been, certain it is
that election by Court Leet gradually superseded open
voting. Here a jury, which may be described as fairly
representative of the town, chose the man, or men, who
were to preside over the Court, which in those days had
so much to do with the life of towns such as Witney.
It is said that History does but repeat itself, and here is
an exemplification of the fact, for, probably, soon after
this book first comes into print the people of Witney,
and of other places, will be engaged in selecting those
who will, in some measure, rule over them, though
there will be a difference in the amount of jurisdiction
which the Court Leet anciently possessed, and that
with which it is proposed to endow our Parish Councils ;
the larger power being, singularly, again placed in the
hands of almost the same class of persons as those who
ruled in the Courts of nearly ten centuries ago.
This, after the lapse of a thousand years. Truly the
ages move slowly. But the powers which the Court
Leet possessed were enormous, the principle on which
they were constituted being that every man should have
at his own door an authority for the redress of wrongs.
Much of the business which is now carried on at our
County Councils and Quarter Sessions, the Court Leet
was in clays of yore empowered to deal with, and as will
be seen from the extracts, which have been taken from
the borough records, many ami various were the offences
which wanted consideration. Bakers, who, even in
those days required the terrors of the law to compel
them to act honestly. Brewers, too, who were not fair
104 HISTORY OK WITNEY.
dealers, met with its displeasure. Witney was celebrated
in old times for beer, as well as for bread, and it may be
certain that the Conscript Fathers were strict enough in
all regulations with respect to the production of both
these articles of diet. Offenders were dealt with in the
manner, peculiar to the time, not by being fined a few
shillings, as now, but by the more drastic measure of
having an ear nailed to the pillory, though there
are no traces at all of this in the Witney records, yet
they may be found elsewhere. Drunkards were also, by
the orders of Court Leet, placed in the stocks ; even
common scolds were put in the ducking stool, and those
too fond of idle scandal, were silenced by means of the
Gossip's bridle. Truly it is doubtful, after all, if
everyone in Witney, of both sexes, will agree with some
authorities, who declare that this Court was one of the
most beneficial of any that have ever existed in the
land. Not the least of the merits of this Court is thus
stated by a panegyrist, " The proceedings of the Leet
are without expense, the suitor pays no fees, and
advocates or attorneys never enter it." (Rttsori's Court
Leet.)
The borough of Witney was anciently governed by
the Stewards and Bailiffs of the Bishops of Winchester,
with constables, wardsmen, and other officers as body
corporate. They held Court every three weeks, and as
may be seen from some of the extracts which follow,
they had jurisdiction in all civil cases for sums under
forty shillings, and they appear also to have had some
amount of authority in minor criminal offences. The
Sheriff could serve no writ within the borough, but
THE COURT LEET AND BOROUGH RECORDS. I05
through the hands of the Bailiffs. The latter, together
with such other persons as had passed that office,
formed the magisterial bench, and sat in their own
Guild-Hall.
The Records of the transactions of Witney Court
Leet are preserved as far back as the year 1538, the first
entry being headed '' The nine and twentieth yere of
the reyne of our soverente lorde Kynge hary the VIII."
Of course, many of the entries made then, though
doubtless of interest, and of value to those who were
alive at the period they were written, are of little
moment to us in these later days, and many years'
transactions have to be searched before one item is
brought to light which possesses any interest for us
now.
"1547. Randowth Margaras comythe to the
Courte ye 27 day of October, and bryngythe hys surte
for good order to kepe in hys howse."
There are many other entries to the same effect,
with respect to other persons, and one who disregarded
the order respecting the sureties was mulcted in the
sum of three shillings and four pence. We are not told
who the particular persons were, who were required to
bring these sureties for good behaviour ; it is more than
likely, however, they were inn-holders ; or they may
have been those, who had in times before, proved
themselves wanting in prudence.
Our forefathers, with a wisdom which deserves to be
more rigorously imitated in the later days, were
exceedingly particular in all matters which concerned
the good of the people. At all times did they exercise
106 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
a controlling hand over what were the two articles
which formed so largely the diet of former days — bread
and
BEER.
So in 1 549 there is the following entry : —
"At a Cortt holden ye 19 day of April, hytt ys
agred byffore ye Cort, ffor ye assysse of Ale, to sell ytt
yff hytt be good, and holssomly brewed, to be rated at
2od. ye dossin."
" A order taken att ye same courte ffor ye assise of
alle. Item, ytt every brewer sshawle brew good and
holssome alle, and to ssell from and after this day by
order of the same courte, every dossen of alle beynge
brewed, ye som off 2S. id. ye dossen, and ye typlar to
sell one thurdyndale (three pints) off good alle1 at
id."
" Item, also ytt is agred by order of the same courte
ytt every brewer shall provide for ye comfort off ye
pore people, good and holesome drynke, and to allow a
gawne and a half ffor a id., and every brewer to allow
of small drynke ffor ye brewyng off a quarter off mawlt
12 gawnes (gallons)."
It will be perceived, from the above entries, that
interference with the liquor trade is of no modern date,
and that not only was the price of ale settled by a Court,
which sat especially for deciding matters connected with
brewing, but that the amount of malt, which should be
used, was also determined. In the next year, to the one
quoted above, the officials go still further, and
recognizing, perhaps, that those who preferred to have
THE COURT LEET AND BOROUGH RECORDS. I07
their beer at home, should be encouraged, there is the
following : —
"1550. A decre made at this Courte that all
brewsters in this towne, shall sell a dozen of ale not
above iis. viiid., and the ganykar (innkeeper) shall sell a
thurdyndale for a peny, as well within the dore, as
wt owte the dore."
It is probable that the order made above, was
attended with good results, for in the next year there
is the following : —
aA decre made by the baylis that all brewsters
shall sell a dossene of ale for xxiid., and the ganykar
shall selle a quart of good ale owte of the dore, for a
halfpenny, and a thurdyndale of good ale within the
dore for a penny, and half a thurdyndale within the
dore for a halfpenny."
But those connected with the brewing interest
appear then to have resented these restrictions of the
ruling bodies, and it is easy to see from this resolution,
passed in the following year, what particular means they
adopted for manifesting their displeasure : —
"That brewsters and tipplers shall sell no better
ale or bere within the dore than without, under the
payne of forfeiture of
The amount of the fine is not given, perhaps the
worthy burgesses were unable to decide on the sum, or
they may have been conscious that such an offence
would not be easy in those days to discover. In the
same year their wrath with regard to the unjust
treatment, which those who chose to drink at their
108 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
own fireside, suffered, brought forth the following
definite order : —
" That if any tippler do selle lesse than a quarte of
the best ale or bere out of the door for a halfpenny,
shall forfeit five shillings."
Most curious is it to observe, throughout the reign
of Mary, how particular he, who made the entries, was
that, so far as his own knowledge went, they should be
exceedingly correct. Perhaps the scribe with memories
of others, who had lost their lives for not acknowledging
what had been demanded of them in a previous reign,
in the matter of the English Church, resolved that it
should not be possible to lay any charge of disrespect at
his door, but though he appears to have been so
anxious to be courteous, he made so grave an error
in describing Mary as " Supreme Head of the Churche
of Englande and Ireland," that it is quite possible,
had the fact been known, that his very desire to be
correct, might have landed him in some trouble, for
although Mary's father had, without apparently suffering
any qualms of conscience, persecuted, and even executed
many who were not prepared to acknowledge his
Supreme Headship, yet his daughter made no such claim
on the Church : —
"1553. Courte holden the xxth daye of October,
in the first yere of the reyne of or most noble Quene
Mary, by the grace of God, of Englande, Ffrance, and
Irelonde, Quene defender of the feyght, and also of the
Churche of Englande and Irelonde Supreme Head."
This entry was made within three months of Mary's
accession, probably before the important news, respecting
THE COURT LEET AND BOROUGH RECORDS. I09
events which were taking place in religious matters, had
penetrated to the little town on the banks of the
Windrush. But in the next year a more correct entry-
was made, the notice with respect to the English Church
being omitted : —
" In the seconde yere of the regne of our sovereign
Lorde and Ladye Phillipe and Mary, by the grace of
God, King and Queen of Englande, Ffrance, Naples,
Jerusalem, and ilrelande, defendours of the ffaith,
princes of Spain and Cecilie, Archdukes of Austria,
Dukes of Millaine, Burgondie and Brabonde, Counties
of Haspurge, Filanders, and Tyrolle."
There can be but little doubt that the official, who
made the above entry, copied it from some State
document, perhaps one relating to ecclesiastical matters,
which may have been sent to Witney, otherwise it is
impossible to believe that he would have been acquainted
with all the titles which Mary and her Spanish husband
appear to have borne. It may be, too, that the fires of
Smithfield had much to do with making the official a
trifle obsequious. Both these entries come before
regulations respecting the brewers ; in one of which it is
ordered that they " shall sell their ale for iiis. viiid. the
dozen, that the tipplers shall sell their ale for iiiis. the
dozen, good and stale, and that they shall sell their
small drinke for a peny a gawen, good and holesome to
man's body."
The dozen contained thirteen gallons.
In the first year of the reign of Good Queen Bess,
the authorities appear to have proceeded still further in
HO HISTORY OK WITNEY.
their efforts to secure a wholesome drink for the people,
for we have the following : —
"1558 Ordered that every brewer and tippler,
that breweth ale to sale, shall send, and give sufficient
warning to the ale taster, at every time of their
brewing, to taste their ale under payne of forfeyting
iiis. ivd."
In these modern days, any brewer who neglected to
send for the excise officer, to test, by certain methods,
the gravity of the beer, would be liable to a fine much
exceeding the sum, which was exacted from those who
in days of old neglected to inform the ale taster that his
liquor was ready for his inspection. The excise officer, it
may be observed, only takes the place of the ale taster of
the 1 6th century. So far as this is concerned, History
does but repeat itself, though it may be perceived that
whereas the ale taster came to discover if the ale were
"wholesome to man's body," the modern excise-man
comes to test the gravity of the liquor, in order to
replenish the Imperial Exchequer. Two widely different
things. It is not at all certain whether in this particular
matter we are wiser than our fathers.
From the commencement of the keeping of the
records, the tipplers (innkeepers we should call them now),
appear to have been treated with very great strictness.
They were required on all occasions to provide two
sureties, who had to be responsible for good behaviour ;
and they were obliged to sell their ale at prices determined
by the officials of Court Leet, though the brewers again
were also obliged to sell to the former at certain charges,
also settled from year to year by the Assize of ale ; the
THE COURT LEET AND BOROUGH RECORDS. Ill
latter no doubt being influenced in their decisions by
the prices of barley and hops.
An excellent example of the power of Court Leet is
afforded in 1566. when it was ordered "that every
tippler, within the Borough, which shall after their
first warnynge after this p'sent Courte recyve into their
houses, or suffer within theire house, or houses, any of
the persons whose names are under wyrtten and to this
order enexed, to the end to tipple or dryncke therein,
or to suffer them to sit tippling or drynking, every such
tippler to forfeit for every pot of dryncke so dronken by
any of the persons undernamed to the use of the lord of
the franchise, iiis. iiiid."
After this follows a list of the persons who were
under the displeasure of the Court. There are no means
of ascertaining of what offences those mentioned had
been guilty ; but if they had been guilty of drunkenness
or any kindred offence, the punishment was peculiarly
fitting. Again, is our modern system of fining a man
five shillings and immediately giving him the
opportunity of repeating the offence, at all com-
parable to the more stringent rule of our ancestors ?
"1567. It is decrede that no tippler shall allow
any unlawful games in his howse."
Even then, games with cards, such as backgammon,
shovelboard, maw, lodam, noddy, gleck, which except
backgammon have now grown obsolete, supplied
means to those who \\c\e so disposed, to indulge in
gambling. Three centuries have gone by since the
Witney Conscript Fathers made the decree quoted
112 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
above, and yet it is found necessary, even now, to make
laws dealing with the very same offence.
The following too, is of interest in showing the
strict rule of the Court Leet : —
" 1566. Upon complaint made against Thomas
Barnard for lodginge evil dysposed persons without the
knowledge and advice of the officers, the said Thomas
was discharged by the bayliffe, that he shall not
occupye nor typple from hence foorthe, from and after
the Feast of Pentecost next comying, upon the payne
to forfeit for doying the contrary the sum of fyve
pounds of current money to the use of the said
bayliffes and lord of the francys."
We have no knowledge with regard to the
particular offences of the "evil disposed persons," but it
may be pardonable to conjecture that Witney, and all
other places in the neighbourhood, were peculiarly
subject to the visitation of those who spent the greater
part of their time in illegal practices in Wychwood
Forest.
There are many other orders with respect to
innholders, but those quoted may be regarded as a fair
sample.
BREAD.
The laws which affected bakers were, in their
way, just as stringent as those which had to do with the
brewers, although, while there are regulations respecting
the latter from the commencement of the keeping of the
book, and probably before, the bakers do not seem to
have been interfered with for some time, and it is not
till 1559 that the following order was given : —
THE COURT LEET AND BOROUGH RECORDS. II3
" It is ordayned that the Bakers shall sell ii loves
for a id., and to the Inholder xiiii to the dozen."
But whilst favour was thus shown to the tipplers, it
is evident, from the following, that the bakers were in
some measure protected : —
" 1573. Willm Harris, Inholder at this Courte,
was amerced for baking cakes in his howse, his. iiiid. ; "
and again the same man on the " 3rd day of July was
fined 5/- for baking on St. Peter's day, ' being aforewarned
of the officers."
This is an illustration, that although the Reformation
of the Church of England had taken place some years
before, the ancient discipline with respect to Saints' days,
and probably other feasts of the Church, was still retained.
" 1574. Ordered that if any person or persons,
inhabiting within the boroughe of Witney, doe at any
tyme take any manner of breade or cakes to be solde,
other than those which are the comon bakers (or hath
been prenticed to Baker's craft) shall forfeit xs."
And while those, whose trade consisted in the
making of bread, were thus liberally treated, a watchful
eye was also kept on their doings, and many are the
records of the paying of the fines, because the article
they manufactured lacked weight.
''1550. Item, at this Courte it was appointed and
decrede by the said Bailiffs that all inhabitants, dwellinge
within this burroughc of Witney, shall mossell all their
doggs, and suffere not the said doggs to go in the stretes
unmossled after the xxiii daye of Julye next comyngc,
upon the payne of forfeiture for every such dogge for
going unmossled xs,"
114 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
No doubt, the scourge of hydrophobia, to which we
in these later days are no strangers, was responsible for
the above order. Now such a decree could only be
issued by the authorities at Oxford. How much better
was the old system, when people who knew what were
their own peculiar needs, were able to legislate for
themselves ! The offenders in respect to this decree were
duly fined, and there are several entries with regard
to this, which extend over the records for some years.
Butchers, too, had their share of interference from
the local authorities.
"1565. It was ordered in the Courte that upon
evry Sonday and other holy day no bocher shall open
his shop wyndowes, or doores, to sell any flesh, from the
thyrd peale to mornyng & evenyng prayer untyll servis
be fully ended, upon payne to forfeit for every default
iiis. iiiid."
This would seem to mean that all traffic in the
shops of butchers was ordered to be suspended between
the third peal of bells ringing for morning prayers,
on Sundays, and other holy days, until the service was
over, and the same prohibition was applied to Evensong.
Probably the custom was for the ringers to ring
three distinct peals, divided by silent intervals before
service on " Sundays and other holidays."
" 1566. Ordered that no one shall suffer or let
their piggs go into the streets unrynged, being above
one quarter of a yere old, under payne to forfeit
iiis. iiiid."
From the various regulations made respecting pigs
being in the streets, it appears certain that the matter
THE COURT LEET AND BOROUGH RECORDS. II 5
gave the authorities very considerable trouble. Here,
then, it is only fair to point out that we, by not allowing
swine to appear at random in our streets at all, have
made some improvement on the customs of our
ancestors. In 1571 certain persons are warned not to
allow their pigs to lie under the Tolsey. The latter was
a building in which it was usual to pay all the tolls
due to the lord of the Manor, hence its name. Witney
Tolsey has been demolished for so long a time, that
all knowledge with regard to the site it occupied has
been lost. In the neighbouring town of Burford, a
sixteenth century building still stands, and which is
known to this day as the Tolsey.
Later still, in 1578, many people were fined for
allowing their pigs to lie in the street, half of which fines
were to go into " the Poor Man's box." The latter was
a box, which before the passing of the Poor Law Act,
stood inside every Church, near the chief entrance, and
although there was, of course, no compulsion, it was
generally expected that all who had means would
subscribe a certain amount for the relief of their poorer
brethren. The original " Poor Man's box " may still be
seen in many Churches, and usually it appears to have
been hewn from the entire trunk of a tree.
The following entries show the kind of litigation
which kept the Court Leet employed : —
"1570. William Peto, woollen draper, demanded
at this Courte a certayne debt of Cuthbert Margaris,
viis. hid., of which the said Cuthbert paid a portion, and
promised to pay the remainder."
I I 6 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" 1 571. John Swyffee, brode weaver, entered an
action of trespass against Richard Ricketts, brode
weaver."
The reader will have perceived from many of the
entries already taken from the Borough records, how
very rigorous was the rule in Witney with regard to
matters of every day life ; things in which now every
one is permitted to please himself. Perhaps, however,
the following extract illustrates the strictness of the rule
as forcibly as any : —
•' 1607. Memoble., that at this Courte there were
presented for their misdeameanor comytted on Sondaie
the xxvth of October last, of unlawful howers."
Then follow the names of several delinquents. No
punishment is mentioned, though it appears to be
certain that the Court had power to deal with offences
of this nature. Perhaps the mere fact of the presentment
of the names in open Court, where all the chief people of
the town were assembled, was a sufficient degradation.
What was meant by the offence of keeping " unlawful
howers" is by no means clear. It will be observed that
the delinquency occurred on Sunday, and it is not at all
unlikely that the offence had some connection with
being abroad during the time of Divine Service.
The power which the Court Leet possessed is again
shown in the following extract : —
" 1577. Ordered by the Bayliffs that noe persons
shall sell any candles, made of tallow, above the pryce of
iiid. of the pounde."
In those days, the tallow chandler's art was not the
unimportant one it has become now that we light with
THE COURT LEET AND BOROUGH RECORDS. liy
mineral oils, and by gas and electricity. The above
entry, though undoubtedly opposed to the principles
of political economy, may have been, in the 16th
century, justified by some particular action on the
part of those who made candles.
No doubt, too, some conflagration, either in the
town or in some neighbouring place, accounts for the
following order : —
" 1582. Ordered that every howseholder inhabitying
within the Burroughe of Wittneye shall have standing,
or sett, without his streete doore (in every night ffrom the
very day of keeping this Courte) untill the daye of the
feast of St. Michael, one tubbe, cowle, barrell, payle,
panne, or caldron, with water in readiness for necessitie
against fiyre."
And, although the above means are not to be
compared with our modern remedies for extinguishing
fire, yet the precautions adopted were, undoubtedly, of as
efficacious a nature as possible.
In days when sanitary arrangements were of the
most primitive kind, diseases of various kinds were
continually breaking out in different parts of the land,
and when these occurred, the inhabitants of places in
the neighbourhood where the epidemics were raging,
resorted to ail means in their power for preventing the
scourge from reaching them. Often for weeks together,
enormous fires were kept burning between towns
infected with disease, and others free from it. Many
other expedients were also tried, in order to keep the fell
destroyer away. In 1593, Burford and many other
towns in the neighbourhood, were visited by an epidemic
Il8 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
somewhat indefinitely described as the Plague, a
visitation of so serious a nature, that it became
necessary to stop the hunting in Wychwood Forest on
Whit Sunday, which privilege, Burford people in
common with others in the neighbourhood, possessed.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE PLAGUE.
The original order respecting the stoppage
of this hunting, signed by the Lords of the
Council, is still in the possession of T. H. Cheatle
Esq. of Burford. It is more than likely that
the people of Witney were also forbidden to hunt,
though of this there is no certain evidence. But in the
order relating to Burford, it is stated that if the
hunting be carried on " people of divers Townes whereof
some are infected will be drawn together to ye hassard
of many of he Matys subjects," and it is only reasonable
to suppose that for a similar reason the inhabitants of
Witney were precluded from enjoying their annual
sport. However this may have been, it is certain from
the following order, that all ordinary precautions were
taken to prevent the Plague from making its appearance
at Witney.
" 1593. Ordered by the Bayliffs of Witney that any
inholder or victuler inhabiting in the towne of Witney,
shall not at any tyme or tymes henceforth receive into
any of their howses, nor lodge any person or persons
coming from any howse or howses of infection as from
Burford, Lyneham, Abingdon, or any other infected
place whatsoever, to their knowledge upon paine of
forfeiture, or else yf any suche persons suspected shall
THE COURT LEET AND BOROUGH RECORDS. II9
happen to come to this towne, the victueler to whom the
sayde suspected persons shall come shall make the
Bayliffs or constables pryvye thereunto."
The Court too, was used when exchanges were
made, and the following entry is a sample of many of the
same nature.
" Exchanged one sorrilled mare with a Baled fasse,
foure white fette for one Baye mare, marked on the
neare buttocke, and marked with the same on the further
shoulder with the crowe's foote."
Whether the above system was successful in making
horse-dealing a more moral traffic than it is popularly
supposed to be now, is, to say the least, uncertain.
The last entry in the Old Borough Court Book is in
1609, and, although the records were again commenced
in 1 65 1, it was not till 1659 that we get a full list of the
officers. The Court was then held for the Right
Honourable William Lenthal, Esq., speaker of
Parliament, but the last clause had a pen
drawn through it. Before the next court, the King
had been brought back, and old forms were revived as
appears in the Latin and French of succeeding records.
As the question after this was not so much whether
there should be Republican or Monarchical Government,
as whether Church or Dissent should be the more
powerful, so there are many fines recorded for non-
service, possibly on conscientious grounds, on election
to office. The remaining entries to 171 1, are mostly
in Latin, and of no general interest.
The minutes of the presentments seem, from 1705
to 1742, to have been kept in a separate hook, and no
120 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
doubt the names that appear at the end, are those of the
jury. The officers who constituted the Court, were
different in some respects, to those who had composed it
in the 16th century. There were Bayliffs, Constables,
Tythingmen, Clerks of the Market, Leather Sellers,
Fish and Flesh Tasters.
The principal work with which the Court engaged
itself in the 18th century, was in warning the various
people, who lived on either side of the great drain,
which ran down the main street, that they would
be fined if they did not keep the water course in front of
their doors clean ; though in no single instance do fines
appear to have been really imposed. There are so many
orders with regard to the cutting down of the trees that
there can be scarcely any doubt the latter were willows,
and that they were more numerous than they are now.
Butchers' Shambles were erected at this time, and
many are the notices respecting them. The penalties
incurred, however, seem to have been nugatory, and
seldom or never enforced, and notices of nuisances
became an institution.
It is worthy of note that what is now called Corn
Street, was then, and probably before, known as
Corndele Street.
Gradually all signs of healthy, local Government
faded away, and the Court Moot seems to have been
engaged in attending to dunghills, and making
presentments of which nobody took notice. For
example, a Mr. Edward Witts built a house on land,
which belonged to the Court Leet, so the following
presentment appears in the Court Book for some years :
THE COURT LEF.T AND BOROUGH RECORDS. 121
"It is presented that Mr. Edward Witt's house
standeth upon our town House Wall."
But the gentleman concerned seems to have taken
no notice of the presentment at all, and even to have
made a " pot-ash-pitt " inside the boundaries of the
borough, contrary to the wishes of the officers of the
Court Leet. This, however, had only the effect of
wasting more paper in making presentments, and from
the number of times these appear, it would seem that
Mr. Witt treated the Court with the utmost disdain.
The notices end in 1748. There is an entry on the
book, which shows that a quarrel sprang up between the
Bailiffs and Lord Cornbury, the Lord of the Manor, the
former contending that the Borough Court belonged to
them, and not to the latter. A trial at law appeared
inevitable, but at the last moment, the officers of the
Court succumbed, as was their usual custom.
JsXKcDv,
CHAPTER VI.
dEcdesusttcal WLitney.
^HE earliest history of England has been said to be
^ its Church History, and this statement is
undoubtedly correct. But the most ancient records of
the Diocese of Lincoln, in which Witney was situated,
go no further back than the 12th century, and, if an idea
be required of Ecclesiastical affairs in Witney before
this period, it will probably have to be drawn from the
imagination. No doubt, at the time when the Britons
inhabited the valley of the Windrush, there were those
who had heard the words which tell of Life Eternal,
either from missionaries who were sent by St. Paul, and
others to this island, or else from some Roman soldiers
who had been taught the Truth in other lands. The
Roman Army was one means by which the world gained
a knowledge of the Savionr of men, and in its ranks
there would surely be those who, through lonely
night watches, thought of Him who had suffered
on Calvary, and such faithful men would spread the
knowledge they had to the poor and oppressed people,
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 23
amongst whom they sojourned. Be this as it may,
there is conclusive evidence to be found, when we
come to the fourth century, that the earliest British
Churches had diocesan Bishops such as we have at
the present day. For we find them amongst the
signatories of the Council of Aries in A.D. 314.
4md we may fairly gather the continuity of the
Church in these islands from that time to this. In
many respects, no doubt, it differed very much from
the Church which exists now. Old superstitions
were hard to destroy, and in all probability, there
were many reactions in favour of that religion called
Druidism, which had exercised such evil influence in
earlier times, but, however broken and imperfect the
first efforts of faith may have been, it was the
germ of that pure Catholic teaching, which has come
down to us through so many centuries, and which after
being subject to every conceivable attack from its
enemies, yet remains unshaken and undestroyed. Very
interesting would it be to record the part which Witney
took at such a period, for part it is only reasonable to
suppose it did take, as was the case elsewhere. But
if such record can ever be made, it will be by the
pen of some other- writer.
Neither have we any knowledge with respect to
what took place here, when the country was over-run
with the fair-haired marauders, who came from
Germany, bringing with them, and establishing that
heathenism, which was so largely successful in
destroying what little there was of Christianity. But a
time came before very long, when the Saxons themselves
124 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
became naturalized in England, and gradually converted
to Christianity, and then Witney might probably be
one of the first places which reaped an advantage
from the new state of affairs. For, if, as has been
supposed, this place from early times was the abode
of those who were engaged in the manufacture
cloth, its name would be well known, and
missionaries would be anxious to reach the spot,
which may then have become of considerable renown.
But a period is at length reached, when conjecture gives
place to fact. It has already been mentioned that
Witney was, according to tradition, one of the Manors
given to the See of Winchester in connection with the
deliverance of Queen Emma from the fiery ordeal of
the Plough shares.
GIFT OF WITNEY LANDS TO ^ELFWINE, BISHOP OF
WINCHESTER. BY EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, KING OF
ENGLAND, A.D. IO44.
" The goodness of the Almighty Christ (our) God,
" abundantly flowing, calls for all praise. And it is
" to be praised before everything else, for it cannot be
" restricted within any limitations of goodness, since
" the same God, Himself, is the essence of His own
" goodness, dispensing a share of His goodness, not
"only to the worthy,- but also to the unworthy. But
" He is, moreover, King of Kings, and Creator of all
" things which exist visible and invisible alike, and the
" wisest disposer of His Creation, disposing all things
"freely, as is the prerogative of His Divine rule. For
" He places some persons in a superior position to
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 25
" others, as regards this world's dignity, and divers
" kinds of wealth. To whom again He gives mandate
" that they may, themselves, by their own sufficiency,
" relieve the wants of those who have less abundance
" of secular things, and for this, that they may be
" able to be gifted by Him with a greater reward.
" Werefore I Eadwardus, King of the English nation,
" incited by His council to obtain the reward of such
" remuneration, do give to a certain Bishop, my friend
" ^lfwine, and in regard to his loyal allegience,
" wherewith he laithfully seconds my efforts, to wit ; xxx
" ' mansas ' (hides ?) in the place which the people,
<( who live there, called Witanige, that during his life
" he may possess the freehold, and that at his death
" he may bequeath them to whomsoever he shall have
"selected as satisfactory to himself. Let that small
" portion of country territory be free from all liability
" of worldly service, sa\^e that service which is required
" of all in common — namely, castle-repair, and bridge -
" restoration, and the furnishing of soldiers to serve
" against the Country's foes.
" If any person in any manner whatsoever, shall
" have willed by the endeavour of a wicked mind, to
" infringe this donative gift of mine, and snatch it
" violently away, being shut out from the Communion
" of God (who commands us to relieve the necessities
"of our inferiors, according to His love) let that man
" be bound, and fettered with the thongs knotted
" inextricably of eternal damnation, unless he repent
" and the pardon upon his penitence, wipe out (his
" guilt) "
126 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
In the year of the Lord's Incarnation, one
thousand and forty -four. "Indictione duodecima et
septem concurrentibus atque xviii epactis votantibus :
hsec regalis conceptio atque donatio facta est, sub
astipuiatione primatum quarum nomina hie caraxata
sunt."
Here follow the names of the signatories,
commencing with the King and his mother, ^Elgyfu
(Emma).
" Ego Eadwardus Rex totius Britannie prefatum
meam donationem cum sigillo see (i.e. sanctae) crucis
regali stabilimento affirmavi.
[I, Edward, King of all Britain, have affirmed,
with my Royal ratification, this, my donation, already
described, with the seal of the Holy Cross.]
Ego, yElgyfu, ejusdem regis mater, hanc regalem,
donationem cum sigillo sanctae crucis regali stabili
mento amrmair.
[I, ^Elgyfu (Emma) mother of the same King,
have affirmed, with my Royal ratification, this Royal
gift, with the seal of the Holy Cross.]
Then follow the signatures of : —
Eadsinus, Archbishop.
^Elfyicus, Archprsesul.
^Elfwinus, Bishop of Winchester.
Beophtperoldus, Bishop of Wilton
Eadnodus, Bishop of Dorchester.
And seven other Bishops ; and then ten Dukes,
and ten of lower rank (Ministri).
About a century after, when the Hospital of
Holy Cross was founded, or at any rate, built by
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 27
Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, it was
enriched with various Churches, and the Church of
Witney was one of these. The original endowment
of the House of Holy Cross, called also the House of
St. John of Jerusalem, is as follows : —
" Also it is by license of Robert, Bishop of Lincoln,
in the said year of the Lord, 1162, by which he conceded
and confirmed to Walter, prior of the Hospital, the
house of Jerusalem in England, the Church Wytteneye
to the Hospital of Wynton." (Lincoln Registers).
THE ENDOWMENT (BY ROBERT, BISHOP OF LINCOLN) OF
THE HOSPITAL OF HOLY CROSS, WINCHESTER, WITH LANDS
AT WITNEY AND OTHER PLACES. A.D C. 1 1 62. (v.
HARL. BIB. COD. l6l6 REGISTR. SCI. CONCIS, WINTON.
(LANGFORD.)
I, by favour of Divine Grace, have ordained what
duties ought by you to be unceasingly and faithfully
fulfilled, saving always the canonical jurisdiction of
the Bishop of Winchester, so that the constitution
and administration of the Prior of the same Hospital
may be made by the hands of the Bishop ; and that
duly rendered, with all things appertaining to it,
handed over from me to the administrators of the
same Hospital, quietly, it may remain, and unshakenly
among those undoubtedly pertaining ; these properties
we have caused to be noted by their names.
The Church of Ferreham
,, „ Pattesellyng
,, ,, Mellebroc
„ „ Twyford
128 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
The Church of Henton
„ „ Alvvinastok
„ „ Eaton
„ ,, Hupebone
,, „ Wythenhe
,, „ Chythalton
„ „ Wordeheya
„ „ Awelton
,, ,, Wyteneya (i.e. Witney)
„ ,, Scotton
Wynton
" With all things pertaining, and the perquisites of
them, and the titles of the Lordship of Waltham and
other rents assigned in the city of Winton.''
After this time we know nothing whatever,
respecting Ecclesiastical matters at Witney, for a period
of more than a hundred years. But in 1291, Pope
Nicholas ordered a taxation of England and Wales, and
the Church of Witney was at that time declared to be
(according to the money of those days) of the value of
^40 os. 8d., while the Vicarage was said to be
worth £^ 6s. 8d. This meagre information is all
that can be gleaned of Church affairs in Witney for
a long time. Of the part that was played by any of
the residents in this Oxfordshire town, during the time
when John Wycliffe was endeavouring by the aid of his
" poor priests " to paralyse the power of the Pope in
England we know not, but it is almost safe to conjecture
that here came those who were eager to preach the new
doctrines, which those who were called in contempt
Lollards, (i.e. Babblers) were then disseminating. It
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 29
was to manufacturing centres that these emissaries
of Wycliffe loved to go. Here they were able to point
out to the down-trodden artisans, how shamefully
they were treated owing to the conditions under which
they lived. Those who heard the Gospel from
these true sympathizers with a persecuted race, did
not separate from the Church, but continued in
its communion, and it is worthy of note that one of the
first great efforts against the power of the Pope, and in
favour of liberty, especially for the poor and oppressed,
originated with those who were priests and scholars
of the English Church, and who lived and died
professing the particular doctrines which she held.
The seed which had been planted by these earnest
men, apparently bore little fruit for a long time. The
world still went on. Civil War devastated the land.
More than one dynasty was upset, great and remarkable
discoveries, both scientific and geographical, were
made, and during all this time there existed in England
a certain number who never forgot the courageous
Wycliffe, nor the scriptural doctrine which he taught.
Not that they were able to declare their
admiration of him publicly. No ! Liberty in both
Religious and Civil Matters had yet to be gained after
many a hard fought battle with the Sovereign, and all the
authority that pertains to Sovereignty on one side, and
on the other side men with few advantages of rank, or
power, but conscious of the great cause they had in
hand, conscious too, of the deep claims of freedom, and
strongly imbued with the necessity for resisting the
encroachments of those who were espousing the cause of
I30 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
oppression and wrong. Fearfully, and with trembling,
did these people assemble, keeping the Word which
speaks of comfort hidden, as did Thomas Bilney and
others, beneath the flooring of their rooms. It was at
just such places as Witney, where those of the artisan
classes lived, who were most intelligent, that the
remembrance of Wycliffe's pure doctrines remained.
But as time went on, and as the number of those who
were at variance with the usual practices, customary in
the Church, (then very much under the dominion of
Rome) increased, they became bolder, and were in the
habit, frequently, of congregating together, to hold
communion one with anther. These people were in
no sense antagonistic to the Church of England, they
may be rather regarded as pioneers in the struggle,
which soon commenced for freeing our Branch of
Catholic Christendom from the intolerable yoke of the
Church and Court of Rome. Officers, ecclesiastical
and otherwise, were continually on the watch to arrest
any who assembled in conventicles, or who were guilty
in any way of doing anything which might be construed
into a breach of the law.
John Foxe has preserved in his Ecclesiastical History
the names of those who underwent grievous affliction in
1 521, which names he copied from the Registers of the
Diocese of Lincoln.
"accuser. parties accused. crimes objected.
Robert Pope. William Gune and For reading a certain
his wife, tanner, treatise upon the
John Baker, of Paternoster. "
Witney, weaver.
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. I 3 1
ACCUSER. PARTIES ACCUSED. CRIMES OBJECTED.
"Robert John Baker,weaver For having the book
C o 1 y n s of Witney. of the Apocalypse.
For reading the
Epistle of St. Peter
in English in the
home of Robert
Colyns, in Asthal."
"Robert Colyns Alice, wyfe of Gune (No Offence stated),
of Wytney.
Thomas Baker,
father to Gune's
wife, of Witney".
"Roger Dods William Gunne, of That they, being in
Witney, and the house of John
others. Harris, of Upton,
at the marriage of
Joan, the wife of
Robert Burges, did
read in a book,
called " Nicodemus
Gospele,' that made
the cloth in which
our Lord was buried
in (as the Registei
saith) and in thai
book is the story of
the destruction of
Jerusalem."
132
HISTORY OF WITNEY.
ACCUSER.
"Roger Dods
PARTIES ACCUSED. CRIMES OBJECTED.
John Baker,weaver For reading in a
of Wytney, the certain English
Bayliffe of Wyt-
ney.
John Brabant, John
Brabant, his son,
with his wife.
book of Scripture,
they being together
in John Brabant's
house, of Stanlake."
"Roger Dods John Brabant, the For reading in a
certain English
book of Scripture,
they being together
in John Brabant's
house in Standlake."
younger son,
with his wife.
Reginald Brabant,
of Standlake.
"John Brabant, John Brabant, his For being present
the elder son of father & mother. when the Scrip-
John Brabant, Philip Brabant, his tures were read in
did nominate. uncle. Hakker's house ;
the words of Philip
Brabant were these
— " that it was
deadly sin to go on
Pilgrimage."
As I have stated in another part of this book, the
occurrence of the name of Brabant is almost conclusive
evidence that the Flemings settled here in order to teach
the manufacturers how to produce better cloth. They
brought with them from their own land a religion,
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 33
which, in a great measure, agreed with that which those
who wished for a reformation in Ecclesiastical matters in
England, professed. These people had generally been
allowed to worship in the way they chose, on account of
the benefits which their advent conferred on the country,
and, although in this instance, they seem to have been
treated as harshly as were the English, yet in many parts
of the kingdom, even in the reign of Mary, they appear
to have, in some measure, escaped the persecution which
pressed so heavily on those who professed the new
doctrines in many places throughout the land.
The secrecy with which these persecuted
people met is worthy of notice. They were, of course,
afraid to assemble where the officers of the King
commonly resided, so in such little places as Asthall and
Upton they met, the former a moderately sized village,
the latter a mere hamlet, consisting at the most of a
dozen houses. Both places are said in former days to
have been engaged in the woollen manufacture, and,
this would in some measure furnish an excuse for
these weavers assembling in such places. As may be
seen from perusing the names of the witnesses, and
those of the accused, sometimes members of the same
family appeared against their own kindred. This need
excite no surprise ; a very different state of things
existed to that which we experience in these happier
days. The officials then, no doubt, succeeded by torture
in extracting from some of those who had been present
when the offence was committed an account "I what
took place, and then forced them to come forward a^
witnesses. This seems to be the only explanation of
134 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
what appears, at first sight, unnatural, and therefore
improbable.
The "Crimes" which these persons committed seem
ridiculous enough to us now. " Reading a treatise upon
the Paternoster," " having a book of the
Apocalypse," and " expressing an opinion with
regard to going on a Pilgrimage," would be considered,
in our days of freedom, no offences at all. We must,
however, remember that the times were altogether
different. And with respect to the crime of being in
possession of different books of Scripture, it is but fair to
say that the authorities were actuated by the purest
motives in endeavouring to restrain the publication of
books, some of which were not genuine portions of the
Canonical Bible. And in order to understand the
particular offence which Philip Brabant committed when
he stated that to go on a Pilgrimage was a deadly sin, it
is necessary to remember that the act of going on a
pilgrimage was then regarded, rightly or wrongly, as
one of a deeply pious nature. People, from the
highest to the lowest class, esteemed it to be
their especial duty, at various times, to go on a
Pilgrimage to the shrine of some Saint, as that of S.
Thomas of Canterbury, or else to the Holy Land to
inspect the places which have played the greatest part in
the History of the World. So, having regard to the
particular veneration in which the going on a Pilgrimage
was held, the words which Philip Brabant used must
certainly be regarded as having been, in a great measure,
indiscreet. We must, at the same time, give him credit
for his fearlessness in attacking what he felt to be wrong
ECCLESIASTICAL WiTXEY. 1 35
and tainted with more than the usual superstition of
the age. In any case we should now rightly consider
such a matter as exceedingly trivial.
Besides the names recorded in this book of those
who were fighting the battle of religious freedom in the
1 6th century, are those mentioned who resided in
Burford, where their conventicles seem to have been
generally held, but as Burford is in the Deanery of
Witney, the names appear together with those already
referred to. The punishment meted out to these people
varied in different cases. Some were sent to the
neighbouring monasteries : — " Osney, Frideswide,
Abingdon, Tame, Bicester, Dorchester, Ensham, there
to be kept and founde of Almes all their life, and to be
kept in perpetual penance." A letter is still preserved
which the Bishop of Lincoln of those days, wrote to the
Abbott of Eynsham, concerning a certain R.T., saying
that his meat and drink may be given him as alms, " if
he so order himself by his labour within your house, and
in your business, whereby he may deserve his meat and
drink, so you may order him as seems convenient to his
deserts, so that he pass not the borders of your
monastery."
The penance enjoined, under pain of relapse, by
John Langland, Bishop of Lincoln, on the persons
mentioned before, was as follows : —
" Every one to go upon a Market day, thrice, about
the Market of Burford, and then to stand upon the
highest steps of the Cross there a quarter of an hour,
with a faggot of wood upon his shoulder."
I36 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" Every one also to bear a faggot of wood before the
procession on a certain Sunday, at Burford, from the
Quire doore going out to the Quire doore going in,
all the High Mass time kneeling with the same
before the High Altar, and to do the same at a
general procession at Uxbridge, and one to beare a
faggot at the burning of a heretic."
" Also every one to fast — bread and ale only, every
Friday — and on Corpus Christi on bread and water only,
during their lives. Also to say every Sunday Our
' Lady Psalter ' once through."
" Also none of them to hide their mark upon their
cheek, neither with cap, hat, hood, &c, nor suffer their
beard to grow past 14 days, nor ever to haunt together
except in open Market, Fair, Church, Inn, or Alehouse,
where others may see their conversation."
The Mark above mentioned was a + branded with a
hot iron, and the remark made about not hiding it with
cap, &c, throws a strong light on the practices which
prevailed in the matter during that age of religious
intolerance. This penance was enjoined, " under paine
of relapse," which expression put into plain English
meant that, in case of neglect or refusal, the offending
persons would be given up to the Civil Authorities to
be burnt.
The Witney people were ordered to assemble at
Burford, to undergo their penance, because there were
many more in the latter town, who had been sentenced
to punishment for a like offence.
The town of Uxbridge, where the "penitents" were
condemned to assemble in a general procession, probably
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 37
of those who came from many counties, is at least 50
miles away, and when the danger and difficulty of
travelling at that period, is taken into account, it will be
perceived that the punishment ordered was not light.
In more than one matter, as the author has pointed out
in these pages, we appear to have absolutely deteriorated
from the ways of our ancestors. But he would be a bold
man who would assert, that the present freedom of
choice in religious matters, compares at all unfavourably
with what prevailed in the 16th century.
BEQUESTS TO THE CHURCH.
The bequests of some Witney people to the Church
are not without interest. The following are the most
important : —
"1544. September 26th. John Croft, of Witney,
gives to the High Altar, within the Church of Witney
xiid., also for the reperation of the said Church xiid.,
item to the bells there xiid., item to the rood light iiiid.,
item to the torch light iiiid., item I give towards the
mendinge of the High ways about Witney xx loads of
stone, and carried with my own cart.
Witness Thomas Knight, Clark, Vicar of Witney."
The " High Altar," " the bells," " the rood light," the
" torch light," and " Highways," were objects commended
to persons for charity in the Middle Ages. The Rood
light was undoubtedly some kind of illumination, which
could be fixed on the Rood loft, so that at the evening,
or early morning services, it would be possible for the
congregation to see the great crucifix, erected, usually, on
the loft or wooden gallery, which thence took its name.
I38 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
The Torch Light mentioned, had, probably, to do with
the general lighting of the Church. The Highways
at the time of the above bequests, must have been
in a lamentable condition, for there was no public
money expended on them, and they were consequently
entirely dependent upon private benefactions.
" 1544. January 16th. Edmund Richards, of
Witney, gives to the High Altar iiis. iiiid. to be
distributed at my buriall, and month's mind xxs.
Witness Thomas Knight, Clark, Vicar of Witney."
" Month's mind " was a month from the date of burial.
"1535. May 21st. William Freeman bequeaths
his body to be buried in the Church yard of St.
Mary, of Witney, to the High Altar viiid., item to
the Resurrection Altar in the said Church, one Altar
Cloth, also I bequeath to the great bell xiid.
Witness Elys Warsen, Vicar of Witney."
"1542. William Howes, of Witney, bequeaths
his body to be buried within the parish Church of
Witney. To the High Altar xxd., item to the great
bell within the same Parish Church iiis. iiiid.
Witness Thomas Knight, Vicar of Witney."
"1545. May 18th. John Smith, of Hailey, in
the Parish of Witney, bequeaths to the High Altar
xiid. To the rode light iiiid. To the torch light
iiiid. Witness Thomas Knight, Clark."
"1545. May 2nd. John Clemson, of Witney,
bequeaths to the High Altar xiid., to the rood light
iiiid. To the torch light iiiid."
"1545. August 8th. Andrew Taylor, of Witney
bequeaths to the High Altar viiid."
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 139
"1545. Henry Hicks, of Hailey, in the Parish
of Witney, bequeaths to the High Altar, within the
Church of Witney xiid.''
" 1545. March 3rd. John More, of Witney,
bequeaths to the High Altar iiiid."
"1545. William Fuller, of Witney, bequeaths to
the High Altar viiid. ; to the bells xxid ; to the rode
light iiiid."
"1545. William Ablige, of Witneye, leaves to
the High Altar iiiid."
There prevails amongst some people a belief that
when the final severance of the Church of England
from the Church of Rome took place, the greatest
difference was at once manifested in rites and
ceremonies, and that immediately there began a
change, which rapidly ended in the services being
conducted in much the same manner as is seen in
most Churches now. The bequests which are quoted
before this, show conclusively, that so far as Witney
was concerned, at least, this could not have been
the case. Not one of these bequests was made till
after 1534, the date when Henry VIII, weary of the
delays which the Pope caused, in the matter of his
divorce from Catherine of Arragon, threw off the
chains which bound, in some measure, the Church
of England to the Church of Rome ; most of the
bequests, indeed, were made more than 10 years
later, and yet there is the same desire manifested,
that the rood should be maintained in all its
splendour, that the High Altar should still stand
clothed with all its ornaments, and that the various
140
HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Altars which stood in different parts, should yet
remain. The truth is that, so far as ritual was
concerned, for the first 12 years, at least, there
was no change whatsoever in the Church of England ,
and there was no reason why there should be, for
whatever a minority of the people may have thought,
the majority were yet ardent lovers of ornate ritual.
True, there had been a change in the Liturgy, as
regards certain portions of it being said in English,
but the innovations were by no means important
It was not till the next reign that doctrines were
taught, and practices commenced, which were more
in accord with the present teaching and ritual of
the English Church.
In the reign of Edward VI, the Commissioners
appointed to enquire into the condition of the Churches
and Towns, made the following Report : —
''The psshe The Chapel Certain lands Sir William
of Wytney or Chauntre & tenements D a 1 t o n
of or Ladye
where are
h o u s e 1 y ng
people viiic.
given to
c er t e y n
feoffees to
f y n d a
priest to
sing and
pray for all
cr y s t e n
souls in the
said Church
for ever.
Incumbent
of xl yeres
a man of
good be-
heavi o ur
and well
learned and
had f o r
his salary
the clere
revenue of
the said
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY.
I4I
"lands and
tenements,
and hath
n o other
lyvyne but
only the
same."
Plate weynge
by estima-
tion in the
keeping of
the incum-
ber, viii
ounces,
ornaments,
valued at
s. d.
xiii viii."
" Mem : That yt is presented unto us, the King's
Maties commission, that the said William Dalton,
chauntre priest, doth hold a close and ground to his, and
to his successors by copie of Court, after the custom of
the Manor of Witney, and the chauntre priest (as we
were informed) at every charge doth paye for his fyne to
the lorde of the said Manor of Witney the double of the
lord's rent and the custom ys and the tenant ys purchase
his shal pay (sic) three yeres rent for his fyne, also that
William Farmer, William Box and others were suffeofed
of the said lands and tents to the use of the priest to
be founded for ever."
"The value
li. s.
of all the
viii. xvi.
lands and
tenements,
belonging
to the same
s. d.
y s yerely
xxxii v
Repryses
yerely and
li. s. d.
to remain
vii. vii vi
clere.
142
HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" Obitis there Founded by Law- Incum- Value of all
for term of rence Farmour, bent belonging
xl yeres which gave cer- none to the said
teyn lands and ys yerely
tents to the xiii. iiii.
founding of ornaments,
divers obitts platejewels
within the said to the same
Parishe Church none."
for term of xi
yeres.
"The Chaun- Certeyn lands and Incum- Value of
tre called tents ffor to bent lands to
fynde and kepe none
an obitt there
for the term of
lxxx yeres of the
Ffarmour's
chamebre
gift of Thomas
Ffarmour
tents be-
longing to
the same
vili. viiis.
iiiid. orna-
ments to
be none."
" Houselyng ' in the above report signifies
communicants. The Commissioners stated with respect
to Burford that there were in that Parish 144
" houselyng " people, 800 is the number which they
state to be communicants at Witney, a fact which
implies, either that the latter was a place five times the
size of Burford, or that the inhabitants of it were more
religiously inclined than were those of its western
neighbour.
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 143
The aisle in the South transept, in which the Altar
tomb of the Wenmans now stands, may be the part
of the Church which was used as Fermour's Chantry ;
the remnant of a richly canopied niche, which may
be seen at the North end of that aisle, had possibly
some connection with this Chantry.
Chapels of Our Lady were used for the daily
celebration of the Holy Communion. Chantries were
of later date than the above ; the Holy Communion
was celebrated in them for the departed souls of those
who built them, and of their relations. The
Incumbents appointed to them had no connection
with the Churches in which their Chantries were
situated, and they were presented to their office by
either the founder of the endowment, or by his
heirs. These Chantry Priests were abolished, by Act
of Parliament, in the reign of Edward VI, and}
although their revenues were confiscated by the
crown, the buildings themselves were kept by the
representatives of the founders, and in many
instances used as Mortuary Chapels. In some cases,
later on, pews were put in these Chapels, which
possibly accounts for the expression "Family Pew."
In other instances, as at Witney, these Chantries
were incorporated with the building, the screens
which separated them from the rest of the Church
being, in many cases, removed.
In 1526, a new missal was presented to the
Church at Witney by Ann Wenman, who was one
of the Wenmans of Caswell House. In confirmation
of this, there is an entry on the last leaf of a Sarum
144 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
missal, in the Bodleian Library, as follows : — " Be it
rememberyed that Sir John Richarde bought this
missale in Oxforde the fyrst daye of May, yn the yere
of oure Lorde God a thowsande ffyve hunderde and
syxe and twentye, and yn the xviiith yere of the
reigne of Kyng Henry the viiith, to the honour of
God, and for the aulter of Saynt Mary Maudelin, yn
the paryshe Chyrche of Wittney, of the gift of Anne
Wenman." The missal, above mentioned, was at one
time in the possession of Bishop White Kennett.
THE CHURCHWARDENS' BOOK OF ACCOUNTS
begins thirty years too late to give us any information
respecting the part which Witney took when the
Reformation was proceeding. Things, even for some
time previous to 1569, — the year the Churchwardens
made their first entry — were in an exceedingly
unsettled state, and it is more than likely that the
commencing of this book marks the beginning of a
new and better state of things.
The first entry is as follows : —
" The boke of the Church.
Account of the parisshe of Witney Begonne the
Third Day of Aprill in Anno Dni, 1569.
Be it alwaies remembered
that it hath bene the custome of the parishe (tyme
out of memory used) that for everye persone which
shall be buried within the Churche (of Witney
aforesayde) shall be levied by the Churche Wardens
(then for the tyme being) to and for the use and
mayntenance of the sayd Churche
Sixe shillings and Eight pence."
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 45
"And also for everye persone which shall have the
greate bell ryng for theire forthe vale Passing bell
or at theire buriall vii."
" A note of certayne
parcells of the towne goodes comenly remayning in
the handes of the Churche Wardens : —
Item twoo brasse potts.
Item twoo greate broches.
Item one payre of Iron racks.
Item xxi pewter platters.
Item viii Tynne Spoones.
Item three table clothers.
Item vi new napkyns.
Item viii olde napkyns.
Item one brason bason with Co.
Item Tenne trenchers."
"1569.
The accounts of Thomas Hanks and Richard Wyat,
Churche Wardens, taken the thirdc day of Aprill, in the
vcare above written, by Phyllvppe Boxe and Pett
Ramsell, then Raylyfes, Thomas Tate, Thomas Tayloi (
Henry Jones, Thomas Bysshope, William Ellmore,
Gyles Jones, and Thomas Clemson, dyers, others of
the Parisshoners. At which tyme there remayned
in the Churche stocke, clere, all thyngs discharged,
foure pounds and fyve shillings, 1 saye. ^"iiii- vs."
" And more in debts owing to the Charges iluc
to be receaved as follows, this particukarlye."
" Item of Sir Richard Wenman Knight, for the
buryall of twoo children, within the Churche, in one
grave, vis. viiid."
I46 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" Item, more of hym for ringing the greate bell
for the same children.'' viid.''
" Item, of Thomas King for the greate bell ringing
for his wyfe." viid."
" At which account Peter Ramsell and Richarde
SaYerge were elected and appovnted (by the whole
Company, above nominated) to be Churche Wardens
for the year next following ; unto whom was delivered
the some of ^"iiii. sv. above expressed in current
money. And also a note of the somes next above
wrytten, then due, to be received. And so fynishes
this Accompte."
It will be observed that the inventor)- given is
not one relating to Church processions, but of "towne
goodes," and it is probable that the " brasse potts,"
" the pewter platters," " the trenchers," &c, were
chattels kept bv the Churchwardens, but which were
used after the annual hunt in Wvchwood Forest for
cooking the venison which had been obtained, or, as
appears from a subsequent entry, they may have been
required for use at the " Baylyffe's Annual Feast."
Churchwardens were generally appointed, in those
early times, to superintend affairs connected with
Feasts, &c. The office of Churchwarden is thought
to be now no sinecure at Witney. How much more
onerous was it when the cooking of venison, and the
apportioning of it amongst the people, was one of the
duties connected with it. Curiously, no inventory of
Church goods appears in the Register till two years
after, but in 1571 there is the following: — ■
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 47
"Anno Dni. i 571.
The accompte of Thomas Bisshoppe and Gyles
Jones (Churche-wardens, of Witney) made the xxii
day of Aprill (being then Lowe Sunday) in the yeare
above wrytten. These being present — Leonarde Yate,
the elder, and William King, then Bayliffes of the
Borrough of Wittney, aforesayde, Thomas Yate, Henry
Jones, Phyllppe Boxe, Stephen Boyce Wycks, William
Ellmore, Richarde Hyatt, Thomas Clemson, Henry
Smythe, Richarde Homfrey, and Richard Bryce (this
wryter,) with dyvers others of the towne and parrisshe
of Wittney, aforesaide. At which tyme there remayned
of the Churchc Stocke, cleere all thynges discharged,
the some of foure poundes and eight shillings of
currant Eng. money."
"At this accompte were elected and appointed
by the generall consent of the persones, above
nominated, the Churchwardens of the Churche of
Wittney, Phyllyppe Boxe and Richarde Homfrey,
unto whom was delivered them in readye money of
the Churche stocke, the some of ^"viii viiis."
"And also a newe Communion Cuppe, of silver,
double guylltecl, containing, in wayght (£v. sxvi. dvi.)
sixteen ounces and a half @ seven shillings the
ounce."
"Item, a streamer of bleue sylke with a gollden
lyon and other braunches of gold in the • ime."
"Item, a newe gable rope (made for the bells)
which wayets five todds and live pounds, and did cost
xxxvs., and more delivered to the same Churche
Wardens all the other parcells of ymplements which
I48 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
are expressed at the nether end of the first leafe of
this present boke."
It is highly probable that " the streamer of blue
sylke " was a banner used in connection with one of
the guilds, which formerly existed in this town.
anno dmi 1573.
" The accounte of Phillippe Boxe and Richard
Humfrey, Churchwardens of Wittney, made the vii
daye of Apryll, being the thirde Sundaye after Easter
Daye, in the yeare above wrytten. These being
present — Mr. Scott, (then viker of Wittney, aforesayed),
Thos. Yate, Hen. Jones, Stephen Bryce, William
Wicks, William Ellmore, Henry Smyth, Roberte
Bowman, Trewe Penye, Robert Harris and Richarde
Bryce, (the wryter hearof), with dyvers others of the
Towne of Wittney, aforesayde. At which tyme the
Churche remained indebte to the sayde Churche
Wardens (by reason of a newe castyng of the greate
bell and thirde bell) and of other greate charges done
aboute the same bells and the beste of the bells, and
paying for glasing of the schoole house wyndOwes,
the which was done twoo yeares before, the some of
/~iv xiis. ivd.
" At this accompte were elected and appoynted
(by the general consent of the persons, above nominated)
to be Churche Wardens of the Churche of Wittney,
aforesayde, for the yeare next following, Phyllyp Boxe,
Leonarde and Nicholas Gunne, of Wittney, and with
them John Trewepeny, of Crodrydge, and Robert
Bowmun, of Hayley."
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 49
" In whose hands was lefte the Newe Communion
Cuppe, mentioned in the leafe of the laste accompte
before this."
" And also all other ymplements, expressed in
the same leafe."
The lattter part of the 16th, and the early part
of the 17th century, was a period when the bells
of Churches appear to have received special attention.
Later particulars respecting the bells, may be found
in the description of the Church.
What is here called the School House, may
have been the Chantry, which stood at the Eastern
end of the South Transept, or it may have been a
" Free School," which existed even at this period
in the town, and to which reference is made later
on. All knowledge with regard to the endowment
(if any) of it, has been lost.
During the years 1575, 1577, and 1578, nothing
of importance is recorded, except that " Surveyors
of the Ways " were appointed for the first time at
the Annual Vestry Meeting. It was at this period
of Good Queen Elizabeth's reign, that the terrible
condition of the highways began to excite attention,
and with the object of improving them, persons, to
superintend their repair, were ordered to be chosen
at the yearly meeting of the Church officials.
The inventory of Church goods for 15X0, is as
follows : — -
"The Communion Cuppe before in lliis 1>
expressed."
150 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" A Carpet and Lynnen Clothe for the Communion
Table." .
" Two Surplices, twoo lynnen table Clothes, for
the Guylde Hall."
" Sixe table Napkins, one payre of Iron Racks,
twoo iron broches, one brasse pott, one brasen eower,
and a bleue Sylke Streamer, with a golden lyon in
the same.''
The Guild Hall mentioned, disappeared so long
ago that all authentic knowledge with respect to the
site it occupied has been lost. It is very curious
that in the preceding inventories there is no notice
of Church vestments, except of the surplice. The
six table napkins, mentioned, were most likely used
in connection with the administration of the Holy
Communion. Even now, at the Parish Church at
Leamington, clean white napkins are placed along
the Altar rails every Sunday in the year, when the
Holy Communion is celebrated, (Church Folk-lore
p. 70) ; and the ancient " houselling cloth " is still
spread on the rails at S. Mary's, Oxford.
"Anno Dni 1582.
Richarde Humphrey and Richard e Johnson
(Churchwardens) in the sight and presence of Mr.
Richarde Smyth, Clearcke, then Viker of Witney."
" Md. That at the sayde accompte there was
remayning of ready money in the poore men's Boxe
the which was <>eeven at Communions within the
sayde yeare £y. iis."
" Item at this accompte, the blewe streamer (the
which is mentioned in the nether ende of the last
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. I * I
accompte) was sollde unto Peter Rankell, by the
generall consent of all the persones above nominated,
for the which was presentlye payde unto John
Saunders vis. viiid."
"Anno Dni. 1582.
Accompte yielded upon Lowe Sunday in the
presence of Mr. Richarde Smyth, Clarke then Vicar
of Witney."
The Churchwardens .... had gathered and
receaved into theire handes to and for the mayntenance
ofWittney Churche ^*iii. xv.s. viii.d., besydes Phillippe
Boxe, his yerely gyfte towards the mayntenance of
the sayde Churche vi.s. viii.d. the which was allowed
unto hym at this accompte, towards the charge which
he had layde oute for casting the great bell when he
was Churche Warden of Wittney."
" Whereof layde out in Charities by the sayde
Churche Wardens in the year ^"iii. viii.s. vii.d."
" Whereof payde to William Hanks, the 6th of
May, 1582, for the serplus of wyne, spent at communions
in the last years, and in this yeare which he had
layde oute over and above all the money which he
had received for that purpose xvi.s. x.d."
" Payde more to hym for candles, spent at mornyng
prayer viii.d. And more for engrosing of the
christening booke lis., vi.d."
"Payde more to John Lynley at this account fur
money which hee had layde out for Communion wine,
twoo yeares past, and to cleare hym for the Churche
x.s.
1>2 HISTORY OK WITNEY.
" At this account the Churche was cleared from
Phippe Boxe, for castynge the Bell, at which tyme
they payde hym vi.s.'
" Also there remayned in the poore mens boxe in
re.idye money £\\ ivs.'
"Item at this account there was owing to the
great bell, foorth vales."
A poor man's box was ordered to be placed in
every Church ; it was commonly made by hollowing
out the trunk of a tree, while precaution from
misappropriations were provided against by fastening
it with three locks. It must be remembered that
the poor, who were so unfortunate as to be unable,
from various causes, to earn a living, were in the
most miserable condition at this time that it is
possible to conceive. The monasteries must have
served, with all their evils, several useful purposes, one
of the most important of which was, that their
inmates had taken care of those who were unable
to help themselves. These religious houses had, at
the times spoken of, disappeared, and till the enactment
of the first Poor Law in 1601, there was much
need to be continually replenishing the Poor man's
box, which was placed in every Parish Church.
How shall we interpret the " blue streamer ? "
If indeed it had been used in connection with
some Guild Festival, its use would have been
obsolete, and, in all probability it had been for
some time an encumbrance to the Churchwardens.
The Guilds had all disappeared, for Puritan influences
were beginning to make themselves felt. It is
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 153
pardonable, however, to wonder to what particular
trade Peter Rankell belonged, as it would
then be possible to judge, in some measure, to what
use he intended to put it. Was he a draper ? If
so, did he meditate selling it piece by piece to his
poorer customers ? or, as is more probable, did he
intend to fix it to his house in order to attract
customers ?
It will be seen, from the above entry, that
the good old-fashioned custom of giving a yearly
gift at Easter to the Church, for the Clergy or other
sacred purposes, is of considerable antiquity.
It is certain, too, from the payment of candles,
quoted above, that the services of the Church were
said daily, as the Church of England ordered, and
still orders, her Clergy to say them.
REPAIRING CHURCH AND BELLS.
In 1588 the Churchwardens " layde out the sum
of ^~vi. ivd. in repayring the Church, the bells, the
Clocke, and the glass windows." It may be that the
old stained windows began at this time to be
superseded by plain glass. In the same year the
names of those who " agreed " with the Church-
wardens for " seate roomes in the Church r are
given. They number five only. It is probable
that at that time the sitting accommodation in Witney
Church was limited. There would appear to be reason
for supposing that the naves of Churches had been
often devoid of furniture in the Middle Ages, and
the open spaces must have added much to the beauty
154 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
of the fabric. No doubt, the paucity of those who
held "seat rooms" in Witney Church may be accounted
for by supposing there were few seats in the edifice,
the poor bringing portable stools with them. Old
Jenny Geddes, at Edinburgh, is reported to have
thrown her stool at the head of the officiating
minister in the time of Charles I, when the latter
endeavoured to introduce a Liturgy into the Scotch
Kirk.
It is interesting to observe that in 1590 the large
sum of ^"xxi xvis iid was spent in casting the second bell,
and in making alterations to the other bells, " and
glassing of the windows." Two years later, " two pottle
potts to serve to the Communion table " are in the
inventory and during the next few years, all that appears
to trouble the peace of the Church-wardens, is the
amount of bell metal which they had on their hands,
owing to alterations. But in 1596, the two late
Church-wardens are called upon to give up racks,
bell metal, and other articles to the officials in
office. This they appear, for some reason, unwilling
to do. At the next year's meeting, the articles
had not been sent " home " to the use of the
Church, neither had some small sums of money been
paid. Then it was decided that the articles, &c,
" shall be demanded in love," or " exacted by law."
It is probable that the demands made in love,
were successful this time, as there is no further
mention of the matter.
" At the sayde time also, because it was not
agreed of the accompte then to be made. It was
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 55
deferred the next day following, which fell out to
be St. Mark's Day after evening prayer, at which
time the forenamed Churche-wardens brought in
their full accompte by bills, approved by those that
were assembled in the name of the whole parish e
uppon publique warning given the sayde day at
morning prayer."
The above entry is again evidence that, although
Puritan influences had been felt at Witney, yet no
difference had been made so far as the daily services
of the Church were concerned.
In the next few years some alterations seem to
have been made to the fabric of the Church.
There is an entry in 1602 respecting "the mendinge
of the steeple," and in 1608 there is an entry with
regard to " vii oken bordes " left in that part of
the Church, and of several loades of timber, given
by Mr. James Whittlocke " towardes the repay ring
of the Church, the same lying in the grene at the
Vicaridge door." This would appear to settle the
question with regard to the site of the vicarage.
A strip of land between the Green and the river,
beloncrincr to the Rector, is still called " Vicar's
Close," and it is probable that the residence of the
Vicar was immediately in front of this, most likely on
a portion of the site now occupied by the Church
Schools, which are built on glebe land.
Evidently at this period, great alterations were
made in the Church, possibly not remarkable for
discretion or good taste. In the next year (1609)
there is an item in the inventory of Church goods
I56 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
of '' vi. bushels of lyme in the Resurrection Chapell."
This entry would seem to show that this. Chapel
had become a kind of lumber room from the fact
that lime was stored in it, also that this was the
period, when paintings on the walls of Witney
Church were probably covered with whitewash. And)
although, there were doubtless, not a few zealots who
were pleased to see the despoiling of such works of art,
which they supposed ignorantly savoured of idolatry, yet
it is only fair to the memory of these early Puritans, to
state that there was more than one order made by the
sovereign commanding all Churchwardens to cover the
inside and outside of Churches with lime as a
preventative from the Plague, which was at that
period playing such havoc with the health of the
people.
In 1613, "2 books of Bishop Jewell's works," "2
books of articles," and " 2 books of Canons," are added
to the volumes already in possession of the
Churchwardens.
The first entry with respect to the Whitsuntide
sports occurs in 1620. This appears to have been a
source of revenue, for the Church officials state they
received li.s. iiii.d., and that they laid out this sum
in hearse cloth.
In 1628 the revised edition of the Bible made
its first appearance, together with " two Communion
bookes," and " one booke called ye Parafraises of
Erasmus." In 1631 there is a record to the effect
that a " dixonaire, price xxiis., was purchased."
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 57
" 1633. Before Mr. White, Curate of the same
Churche, Mem. that of the old Churchwardens, by
name John Heming and Walter Clarke, of Wittney,
Thomas Tate, of Hayley, and Thomas King, of
Curbridge, were pained by consent of ye minister
Thomas Johns, and the other parishioners the sume
of 1 id. a piece for their neglect in not bringing in
a particular accounte of the poore for ye bread and
wine, viz., because they had not a particular note
who had payed and who not."
" 1634. Anno. Rege Carol, Anglie.
Before Thomas Dudley, Minister of the said parish.
Item for ringing the great bell for burialls in the
whole parish, as appears by the clarke and saxton,
their books, xxvis."
" Item for the first tax for the whole parish for
and towards the repparations of the Churche. Taxed
the xxii Dec, 1633, the some of the whole ten being
^"viii. iiii.s. iii.d."
" Item, received of Mistress Burgess as a gift
given by the late vicar, Mr. Richard Burgess, her
late husband, deceased, xs."
" Item, received from the whole parish for bread
and wyne, viz., of every Communicant id, £\. xv. viii."
The amount of money collected in this way appears
to intimate that in former times, having regard to
the difference in population, the Holy Eucharist was
partaken of much more frequently than it is now.
" Item given by Richard Harris, late of Hailey,
deceased, for and towards the new erecting of gallory
in the said Church. «^"v-"
158 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
SMOKE FARTHING.
" For smoke farthinge, due to his Majesty lis."
Smoke farthing, or smoke money, was anciently
paid as a composition for offerings, made in Whitsun
week by every man who occupied a house with a
chimney, to the Cathedral of the Diocese in which
he lived. Sir Roger Twisden says that Peter's Pence
were abolished by King Henry VIII, but on the
grant of those monasteries, to whom they had become
payable, they continued to be paid as appendant to
the Manors &c. of the persons, to whom granted,
by the name of smoke money. In an extract from
the Churchwardens' accounts for the parish of
Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, there is the
following : —
" 1575. Expendyd at the Byshoppes Vysytacion
to the Sumner, for Peter's pence, or smoke farthing,
some tyme due to the anti criste of roome. xd."
In 1699, there is the following entrv with respect
to this tax : —
"Mem., the Thursday before Michmaellmas
sessions, 1699, one Stephenson, demanded of ye
Churchwardens 2 4 per year for 4 years past, for
smoake farthinge for ye King. But Gustus Pardsen,
being Choirman at ye Sessions, Oxon, declared that
there was noe Law for it, neither had the King any
of the money this Stephenson demanded. Riding
charges therfor was not paid then, neither ought any
such man to be paide any more."
It would appear that Mr. Gustus Pardsen,
engaged as " Choirman " at the Sessions, had
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 159
overheard the law on the subject when the matter had
been brought before the Justices there. No doubt,
this tax and others like it of an unimportant nature,
were farmed, i.e. persons like Mr. Stephenson, before
mentioned, gave a lump sum for the off chance of
collecting these impositions, which it is certain were
illegal.
Before this date (1634) "a bason" is mentioned
in the Inventory of Church goods. The Puritans
hated the sacramental system of the Church in no
small degree ; the altar was therefore degraded by
being moved about the Church, and the Communicants
sat round it. In like manner, and in order to degrade
the sacrament of regeneration, . the fonts were, in
many instances, got rid of, or basins were placed in
them and used at the administration of the Sacrament
of Baptism. Archbishop Parker, writing to Lord
Burleigh on Nov. 1573, thus, "I have been of late
shamefully deceived by some young men, and so have
I by some older men. Experience doth teach. The
world is much given to innovations, never content
to stay to live well. In London our fonts must go
down, and the brazen eagles, which were ornaments
in the Chancel, and made for lectures, must be molten
to make pots and basins for new fonts."
That this removing of fonts was a common
practice seems clear, from one of the injunctions of
Elizabeth, Octr. 10th, 1561.
" Item, that the font be not removed from the
accustomed place ; and that in Parryshe Churches
l6o HISTORY OF WITNEY.
the Curates take not upon them to confer baptisms
in basins, but in the font, customably used."'
There are scarcely any entries in the Churchwardens
Book from 1640 to 1663. The times were troublesome
and full of continual changes. Men knew not what
to do for safety. One day King Charles, surrounded
by his army, would ride through the town, and
everything would point to the success of monarchy,
before long these would be followed by soldiers, stern
vinegary looking men, of the Parliament, who came
to the town, and in all probability took possession of
the Church, where one of their number " with the
gift of speech " would deliver a long homily, remarkable
for red-hot politics . and doubtful theology. That
Witney Church was visited in some such manner is
evident from the following entry : —
"May 1st, 1647. The Surplis and Books of
Common Prayer were taken away by the soldiers." •
The use of the Prayer Book was prohibited from
1645 to 1660, and if its use were persisted in, it
brought a year's imprisonment. For the Puritans no
more practised religious toleration than some other
Christian bodies before this period and after. The
Clergy were turned out of their livings, many of them
were exiled, and in place of them came " lecturers,"
who occupied the clerical nest till the Restoration
came. It is certain that such was the case with
regard to the majority of livings in England during
the Protectorate. But this state of things did not
exist at Witney. The Rector retained his cure
during the troublesome times, and that probably
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 6 1
without violating his ordination oath in any way. What
actually took place is clear from the following quotation,
taken from " Palmer's Nonconformist Memorial."
" Edmond Staunton, D.D., told his father (who
had given him his choice of the three learned
professions) that he esteemed the turning of souls
to righteousness the most desirable work in the world,
and attended with the greatest reward hereafter,
though the others might bring in more wealth and
honour here. He first preached a lecture on the
Lord's Day afternoon at Witney, in Oxfordshire,
about six months, and had encouraging seals of his
ministry. His labours were so acceptable that people
flocked from all parts to hear him. This was not
pleasing to the incumbent, who took the more time
in reading prayers that this novel lecturer might have
the less time for preaching, and then left the Church ;
but he was followed by none, but his clerk, whom
he would not suffer to give out the Psalm. Mr.
Staunton had preached several times on the text
" Buy the truth and sell it not," upon which the
incumbent when he met any coming into the Church
as he went out, would say, with a sneer, " what, are
you going to buy the truth?"
It is clear from the above quotation, that the
Rector of Witney was allowed to retain his living,
that he read prayers during the services at Church
(though whether these were taken from the Prayer
Book is doubtful), that, apparently, he was not
allowed to preach, and that he was hostile to the
lecturer who lived here during the time of the
1 62 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Protectorate. It is certain that the clergy were
treated in a very great many instances harshly, and
that they were deprived of their livings. The
question then arises " Why should the Incumbent of
Witney experience more lenient treatment ? " In a
former book I wrote with some warmth with respect
to the Vicar of Burford retaining his living under
exactly similar circumstances. I am glad, therefore,
of an opportunity of stating that it is clear to me,
that the various clergymen in this neighbourhood
were treated less severely than were others in various
parts of the kingdom. The reason for this leniency
is not difficult to conjecture. Only seven miles
from Witney, lived William Lenthall, the Speaker
of the Long Parliament. This man was a zealous
Churchman, and in the Priory Grounds, at Burford,
may yet be seen the ruins of a very beautiful
Chapel which he built, and which was consecrated
by the Bishop of Oxford, in 1662. Lenthall was
intimately connected with Witney. During the
Protectorate he was Lord of the Manor, and one
Rector of Witney, during this period, was certainly
appointed through his influence. This was Ralph
Brideoak, who was appointed to the Rectorate during
the time of the Commonwealth. There can be scarcely
any question that the power and authority of Lenthall
were sufficient to protect clergymen of the Church
in the neighbourhood, and I am glad of the
opportunity of clearing the memory of the Rev.
Christopher Glynne, Vicar of Burford, from the
aspersions which I, in all honesty, cast on it.
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 63
There was another lecturer, during this period,
to whom reference has before been made with respect
to the catastrophe which happened to the actors
from Stanton Harcourt.
John Rowe was born at Tiverton, and educated
at New Inn Hall, Oxford, till the troublous times,
which obliged him to go to Cambridge. He returned
afterwards to Oxford, and obtained a fellowship or
Senior Studentship at Christ Church College. He
was first employed at Witney, but after a short time
he was appointed a preacher at Westminster Abbey.
He was ejected from his preferment for Nonconformity,
in 1662, and after this period he seems to have had a
small congregation in St. Bartholomew's Close. He
died in 1677. His last sermon ends thus : —
" We should not desire to continue longer in
this world than to glorify God and finish our works
and be ready to say, ' Farewell time ; Welcome
Eternity!' Even so come, Lord Jesus!"
Mr. Rowe was the author of many religious works.
In 1 6^4 Mr. William Gilliat is mentioned as being
a lecturer "at W'y." He remained till 1662.
But the tide soon turned. The English people
had hardly tasted Puritanism, with its total absence
of amusement, before they discovered that it was not
at all to their mind, and glad were the people of
Witney and elsewhere to regain their Liturgy, and
to settle down into their old parochial life again.
The difference in Church matters is intimated
again in the Inventory for 1662, when the surplice
and three Communion Prayer Books are once more
164 HISTORY OF WITNEY
amongst the effects of the Churchwardens after being
absent for several years, and the entries again in the
Churchwardens' book are as full and complete as
before 1642. In 1663 there is the following: —
" That for the better regulating of the great
disorder of the seats in the Church, the present Vicar,
and now, Churchwardens, with the Sidesmen, place
the Parishioners according to their quality."
Much better is the present arrangement of seats
in Witney Church, where without distinction of
u quality " they are free and open to all. However
the officials may have managed with regard to " placing
people according to their quality " in the 17th century,
it is certain that in this latter part of the 19th century-
it is not quite the kind of enterprise in which even
the most popular and powerful Church officials would
care to engage themselves. To the credit, however,
of Witney and its people, be it said, that this
opening of the Church freely to the working classes
was, in 1889, thoroughly carried out by the present
Rector and Churchwardens with wonderfully little
friction or opposition of any kind.
Ths dread that the fearful pestilence, which has
always been known as the Plague, would reach
Witney seems to have troubled the townspeople, for
in 1665 there is the following entry: —
" Mem. We, the Rector, Vicar, and Churchwardens
of ye parish of Witney have thought fit to allow
unto Richard Johnson, of this towne, and his family,
whom we caused to be shut up for a month and
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 65
upwards for fear of infection, of the money collected
ye sume £2 12s. od."
There are several notices, too, of collections that
were made on behalf of those who suffered from
the infection. Charles II and his Parliament were at
this time at Oxford, not far away ; and it is very
probable that some jaded statesman, or courtier, who had
ridden out as far as Witney to take the air, told the
tale of the dreadful scenes which were then taking
place in the metropolis. If the story of the horrors
which then prevailed were only half told, there need
be no wonder that Witney people were so far frightened
that they resolved to leave no stone unturned in
order to keep the pestilence away from the town.
In the same year there is the following : —
" That Moses Pierson ring ye Bell at 4 in ye
morning, and 8 at night throughout ye year, and
to receive his full years wages from ye Churchwardens
proportionably for his paines, 80 shillings for his
wages for the first half year, and 30s. for the other
half."
Few things more clearly indicate the way in
which we have departed from the " early to bed,
early to rise " rule of our ancestors than the above
entry.
April 30th, 1676.
" We whose names are underwritten do testify
that Ralph Weckerlin alias Trumbull, Rector of ye
said Church with ye vicarage annexed did upon ye
day above mentioned, real ye 39 articles in ye time
of Divine Service, and declare bi^ assent, and consent
1 66 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
to ye book of Common Prayer, and he renounced
ye obligation to ye Covenant accordingly to ye
act of Uniformity of ye 14th of King Charles ye
2nd King."
The Rectory and Vicarage were united in this
reign through the influence of Speaker Lenthall,
(Ant. A. Wood). This peculiarity of the living of
Witney being both a Rectory and Vicarage, is not
common, though it exists in a few other places. The
reason for its existence appears to have been the fact
that those who, in early times, gave tithes to the
Churches were called Patrons, and they and their
descendants acquired the privilege of presenting the
Parson. Sometimes this right was given away to
Colleges, sometimes to Bishops or to Societies. The
latter were frequently in the habit of retaining a part
of the income, and of sending down to the cure a
clergyman, called a Vicar (i.e. one authorised to
perform the functions of another), who was paid
by an arrangement made between himself and
the particular body whom he represented. The
Vicar frequently resided in the Rectorial house,
though this, certainly, was not the case at Witney,
but it is probable that he was granted a smaller
kind of tithe, and that he had other endowments.
Vicars were appointed in early times, soon after
the Conquest in all probability, and so far as
Witney is concerned, they appear, until the
commencement of the 17th century, to have had
the spiritual charge of the place. The Rector's
residence was, in those days, a very inconvenient
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 67
structure, and there is no evidence at all from the
Churchwardens' book that any rector was in residence
till 1640. It would be interesting, if it were possible,
to make an accurate list of the Vicars of Witney,
but it would be extremely difficult.
In 1683 there is the following curious entry : —
" Itt was agreed that ye Clarke must receive
6d of every one that useth black cloth, which ye
Clarke shall have 2d of it for his pains, and 4d to
account."
The Ringing Loft was erected in 1699 "by six
score persons which raised the sum of £1^ 15s. oi."
This is interesting as throwing light on the date
of some ornamental woodwork, now concealed by a
wooden ceiling, but said, by those who remember it,
to be elaborately decorated both in form and colour,
the result, probably, of the efforts of the six score
collectors .
Dec. 5, 1703.
Mem. "That Edward Bird of the Parish of
Wittney, was declared Excommunicate in the Parish
Church of Wittney, the said 5th of Dec, 1703
according to an Injunction from ye Ecclesiastical
Court, dated the 24th of Nov., 1703. The said
declaration made by Mr. John Moulden, Presbyter of
the Church of England.
Ralph Trumbull, Rector,
of Witney."
January 30th., 1 yo:J
Mem. "That Edward Bird above named being
absolved according to a letter received from ye
1 68 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Register of the Diocese, Mr. Cooper, dated ye
29th of the month was declared absolved ye said
30th of January, 170I in ye said Parish Church of
Witney.
Ralph Trumbull, Rector."
In the Commination Office, appointed to be used
on Ash Wednesday, we are told that in " the
Primitive Church there was a godly discipline that
at the beginning of Lent such persons as stood
convicted of notorious sin were put to open penance."
At the commencement of the eighteenth century,
excommunication (the severe punishment inflicted in
Edward Bird's case) was usually bestowed for two
things — defamation of character, and incontinence.
There are many instances recorded of the infliction
of penance. The parish book of All Saints,
Huntingdon, contain the following : —
" 1 62 1, Johannes Tomlinson, Rector, Oliverus
Cromwell, filius Roberti, reprehensus coram totam
ecclesiam pro factis."
"Jo. Tomlinson, Rector, 1626. Hoc anmo Oliverus
Cromwell fecit ponitentiam coram totam ecclesiam."
It is a common belief that public penance is
quite a thing of the distant past. This is not the
case, many instances might be quoted showing that
it prevailed up to the middle of the present century.
In 1 71 7 there is the following: —
" H. Price, Curate of Witney, (the Rector being
still absent)."
Probably few places have suffered more than
Witney from the non-residence of its Rectors. The
ECCLESIASTICAL WiTNEY. 1 69
absence of the spiritual heads of parishes at this
time on account of the holding of several livings,
was a fearful scandal. Not only men of low type
in the Church, but even those from whom better
things might be expected, if the piety which prevails
in their writings, can be accepted as an indication of
character, scrupled not to get as much preferment
as they could, and having acquired it, to keep it as
long as possible. Bishop Hoadley appears to have
hesitated when asked to give the living of Witney
to the younger Freind, but he himself is said to
have held the See of Bangor for six years (1716-22)
without having visited the diocese at all ! But this
was in what are called, with a strange irony, the
"good old times." Bad times they must have been
in religious matters, and their effects are felt now
in many places. Public opinion expressed itself pretty
strongly with regard to the pluralists, and in 1787
George III wrote strongly to Pitt respecting this
evil. It continued, however, down to a few years
ago.
churchwardens' presentments.
The original Churchwarden's presentments, which
have been carefully- :kept in the Bodleian Library,
throw little, if any, light upon Churchmanship in
Witney during the latter half of the 18th century.
As will be seen, the Churchwardens usually state that
" all is well " when it is tolerably safe to assume that
there were many affairs connected with the Church
which were not well at all. The expression used,
may probably be taken as an indication of apathy,
iyo HISTORY OF WITNEY.
rather than as one which signified that the
Church was doing its duty. The presentments are
as follows : —
"1735. All well."
"1741. All things well."
"1744. That the Rev. Mr. Friend has took
down to the ground the Vicarage house in Witney
aforesaid."
"1746. The Vickerey House poulled down."
This would seem to have been literally the
Vicarage House, in "Vicar's Close." The Rectory
House was not reconstructed by this Dr. Freind,
but by his son and successor, William Freind,
Rector of Witney, and Dean of Canterbury.
"1749. Nothing."
"1750. Edward Bird and Edward Carter, Barber
presented for shaving on Sundays."
"1751 to 1814. Nothing to present."
"1815. The Church-yard gates under repair."
"1815 to 1825. Nothing."
" 1825. Roof of Porch under repair."
"1833. The roof of our Church requires
reparation, but we cannot enter upon the work untill
next Spring without interrupting the services of the
Church, also that the roof of Wenman's aisle has
not been repaired by the descendants of the late
Lord Wenman."
" 1836. Roofs of Church again want repair, and
the water is getting at the foundations. "
The Churchwardens of every parish were by
statute made in the 8th year of Queen Elizabeth,
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 171
directed to superintend the destruction of " Noysom
foule and vermine," but there is no record of the
Witney Church officials doing any such thing till
1 784, when they disbursed the following sums : —
For 4 foxes 4/-
For 56 doz. sparrows 9/4
For 9 poll cats 6/-
In 1 79 1, it was unanimously agreed that no
Churchwarden be allowed any money for destroying
of hedgehogs.
In 1 8 13 there is the following : —
" Paid Wyatt for restraining of the children in
ye Church, 10s."
An old inhabitant has borne testimony to the
fact that the services of old John Wyatt, mentioned
in the above extract, were frequently required in
Church at the beginning of the present century.
But those were old times when great ugly pews
were in the Church, affording unusual facilities for
irreverent behaviour. Near Wenman's aisle there
stood, at the beginning of the century, a row of square
pews, called the Prentices' Pews. As was stated in
the chapter on the Woollen Trade, every manufacturer
was in the habit of keeping one or two apprentices
and these worthies were expected to attend Church,
at least on the Sunday morning. But, it is recorded
that instead of listening to the service, these young
men were usually engaged in the game of " Chop
Apple,'' or some other amusement equally diverting.
These were "the children," whom old John Wyatt
" restrained," and occasionally in the midst of the
LJ2 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
stillness, when the sermon was proceeding, a noise
to which we are unaccustomed now, would resound
through the Church. This was John Wyatt's long
cane which had come in contact with the head of
some apple-chopping youth. Let us hope that this
discipline bore good fruit in after years.
BRIEFS.
These were relics of the time when the power
of the Pope was great in England. They were licenses
to collect money in Churches, and could be issued at
first only by the Roman Pontiff. As will be readily
imagined, Henry VIII was too much in need of
money to pay his gambling and other debts to allow
any system of obtaining money from his subjects to
fall into disuse. And so, when the Papal dominion in
England came to an end, briefs were issued by the
Crown ; but they were called by various names, such
as "King's Letters," Queen's Letters," "Letters
Patent," &c. The Clergy, and Churchwardens, to
whom they were addressed, were specially enjoined to
assist, in collecting money within their respective
jurisdictions. One of the rubrics after the Nicene
Creed is, "And here shall all briefs be read."
This, of course, has no meaning to us, for briefs
have fallen into disuse. Lord Palmerston refused
to issue any briefs, even for Incorporated Church
Societies, for whose sole benefit they had been issued
from the reign of George IV. In truth, they had
given rise to very much abuse. In a measure they
had been regularly farmed, and a good deal of the
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 73
money collected found its -way, not to those who had
petitioned for a brief, but into the pockets of various
officials. Briefs, indeed, during the latter part of the
period they were issued, were very little more than
financial speculations.
The Briefs, collected in Witney Church, were
as follows : —
" Collections made for Crome, alias Shipden,
Norfolk, Grantham in Lincoln, Baring, Southampton,
Tynmouth, Northumberland, Limmington, Southampton
all these for repairing the Church."
"Feb. 1665.
For Thomas Stoper, of Hartpury, Co. Gloucester,
10/-."
"April 1st, 1666.
For the Church of Gun, in the Co. of Salop, 52."
"May 13th.
For a fire in the dwelling-house of Robert Hamlyn,
of Shefford Woodland, in the Co. of Berks, 5/-."
"July 22nd.
For Warborough Steeple, in the Co. of Oxon, 8/6."
" Dec. 2nd.
For fire in ye parish of Bishop Clifton, in the Co.
of Devon, 10 -."
"April 7th, 1667.
For Mr. John Osborne, Russia Merchant, 14-."
" June 30th.
For ye town of Poole, in Wales, 8/3."
" July 10th.
For the inhabitants of Grindlc, in the Parish of
Ripon, Co. Salop, 7/3."
174 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
"Sept. i st.
For a fire at Laughboro, Leicester, 13/-."
"July 30th, 1 67 1.
For a fire in the Parish of S. Aldates, in Oxon,
18/10. John Hinton, curate."
"For the relief of some Refiners of Sugar, dwelling
formerly in Coleharbour, in ye parish of Gt. All
Hallows, London, who suffered ye loss of above
^"20,000 by a fire, Sept. 8th, 1671."
"March 9th, i67§.
For a fire which began in ye Theater Royall, in
ye parish of St. Martin's in ye Field, London."
"March 28th, 1675.
Towards the repairs of the parish Church of
Newent, in ye county of Gloucester, which fell downe
on ye iv of Jan."
" July 1 6th, 1677.
Collected from house to house for ye Hungarian
Ministers' Brife, in ye Parish of Witney, £2 5s. 8d."
"August 2nd, 1680.
Collected in ye parish of Witney for ye Brifes
for ye captives at Algiers ^"3 os. 4d."
" Jan. 27th, 1670.
Ellenor Griffin and John Griffin, children of
Ellenor Griffin, were sent to Brassmill, near
Shrewsbury."
"May 23rd, 1686.
Collected in the Parish of Witney for the distressed
French Protestants, as commanded in his Majesty's
letters patent."
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 75
"July 7th, 1689.
Collected for ye distressed Irish Protestants,
recommended by their Majesty's letters patent,
^"26 1 6s. 1 id."
"Feb. 1 st, 1 701.
For ye repairs of Chester Cathedral £z\ is. 7d."
" Dec. 24th, 1704.
For the Seamen's Widows and Orphans, amongst
the Dissenters, and those of the Church of England
£8 2S. 7d. Whereof among ye Presbyterian Meeting
£\ J 8s. 6d. ; among the Quakers 18/4.
Mem. That there was ye Sum of 4/- collected
in ye Anabaptist Meeting."
WITNEY CHURCH
stands at the Southern extremity of the town, and
is altogether one of the most beautiful and interesting
edifices in the Diocese of Oxford. Skelton, who
published a very artistic book, entitled " The
Antiquities of Oxfordshire," paid this Church the
compliment of putting a representation of it in the
most prominent part of his frontispiece, a fact which
will convey to the mind of the stranger an idea
of the grandeur and beauty of the structure. It
is possible, and indeed almost certain, that a Saxon
Church stood on the site of the present edifice, although
we are not aware of any positive, historical, and
trustworthy evidence of the fact. It is, as in so many
other similar cases, a matter simply of very great
probability. It was characteristic of Saxon towns to
have more than one Church — Wallingford, Dorchester,
176 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
and Standlake for instance had several. That so
very ancient a place as Witney should have had no
Church is, indeed, against all likelihood. That a
Church of considerable size and importance was built
here when the Normans had conquered the country
admits of no doubt whatever ; all that remains of this
building are the porch, the central portion of the
walls of the nave, and a few well carved stones
(zig-zag and beak-head) built into the walls. The
remaining portions are Early English, chiefly, but
there are prominent and extensive examples of the
two other principal styles of Gothic architecture.
No one can fail to be struck with the impressiveness
of the first view of Witney Church. The Early
English tower, with its massive turret-pinnacles and
tall elegant windows, which somehow or other look
so foreign ; the beautifully formed spire presenting
an unusual variety of treatment ; the lofty clerestories
and majestic transepts with their great windows, with
its curious and finely worked band half way up,
make up a scene as suggestive of thoughts of a
distant and more pious past as can be desired by
the most earnest student of architectural history.
Naturally it will be asked, " Who were the
builders of this Church ? " Our answer to the question
must necessarily be a purely conjectural one. No
document exists which throws any light on so
interesting a matter, but it is quite safe to suppose
that in the erection of a building of this importance
the Bishops of Winchester would have much and
powerful influence. Very likely the North porch was
D y was probably designed.
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 177
erected by Bishop Henry, of Blois, a great Church
builder, and the remaining parts, perhaps, were raised, as
those already mentioned may have been, from the
very designs of the Bishops themselves. For in those
distant days, while rich and public-spirited laymen
were ready to offer the means for building and
decorating Churches and Memorial Chapels, dignitaries
of high rank, both Monks and Bishops, were often
the skilled and able architects ; and the many lovely
remains of Church, Castle, and Hall, which may be
viewed, even now, throughout the length and breadth
of the land, were the results of long hours of laborious,
and, no doubt, enjoyable study by men eminent in
rank and culture. It is therefore not at all unlikely
that either the Bishops of Winchester, or some of
their attendant Ecclesiastics, drew the plans from
which Witney Church was built. The question then
arises, " What plans would these men be likely to
design ? " Now, it must be borne in mind that not
a few of them were foreigners, and it is probable
that they would come to England impressed with
the beauty of the Churches on the Continent, from
which their ideas of Ecclesiastical buildings had been
largely drawn. What more likely than that the designer
of the tower of this Church took Bayeux Cathedral
for his model ? Certainly the styles are parallel,
and there appears to be reasonable ground for
such a conjecture. I am indebted for this
suggestion to Canon Norris, the present Rector of
Witney, who also points to the fact that there was
" terra Baiocensis " at Coggs, and at Coombe,
178 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
in the Witney neighbourhood. But he cannot say
how long the property remained connected with
Bayeux. Did the association begin as far back as
the time of the great Norman Bishop, Odo ? It
must have been erected some 120 years later than Odo's
time. However this may have been, the steeple
stands to-day not only a magnificent evidence of the
zeal and piety of men in early times, but also an
example of some of the purest and best proportions
which can be found anywhere in the land. An eminent
living architect has tried hard to reproduce it, but
has himself owned that he has not succeeded. It
is not easy to account for the perfect beauty of
proportion observable in the tower and spire at
Witney. It has been remarked by one, well able
to give an opinion, that as you gaze at the structure
the various lines appear, so to speak, to incline
inwards, and hence the admirable compactness and
symmetry of the whole, due perhaps, largely, to
the massive turret-pinnacles which rise from the base
of the broach spire at the four angles.
As the Church is approached from the town,
the Porch, the earliest part of the fabric, is immediately
in front ; to your right is the Wenman Chapel with
its beautiful ogee floriated doorway, on which, as also
on the string-course above, the ball-flower ornament
appears. This doorway, and the eastern and western
windows of the same chapel, belong, undoubtedly, to
the best part of the Decorated Period ; on the left,
projecting forward, is the North transept, much
lengthened by the excellent builders of the 14th
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 79
century, with its great North window, a singularly
perfect specimen of the flowing tracery of that period ;
but it will be seen that the fine gabled roof over
it disappeared a century later, to make room for
the i^th century clerestory. In the richly carved
corner buttresses at the northern angles of the Church
are niches which were built originally to receive
life-size representations of Saint and Martyr. These
latter also belong to the Decorated Period.
The Nave is surmounted by the clerestory, which
perhaps belongs to the Perpendicular Period ; it
is singularly like that in Burford Church. Above
all, rises in its strength and beauty the magnificent
Early English tower with its noble spire. As one
stands in the well-kept Churchyard underneath, how
easily the mind goes back in retrospect, and scenes
and events, associated with ages gone by, quickly
arise, and pass in review. For this old Steeple must
have witnessed many strange changes in the town,
of which it has for more than six centuries been the
chief ornament. It is likely that the very stones
used in its earlier construction, were carried to their
places by poor Saxon serfs, while the lordly Norman
looked on, and superintended. Other scenes it must
have beheld, such as that which took place when
those, who had little love for the beautiful, caused
magnificent work in wood and stone to be pulled
down, and committed many other acts of desecration.
Firm it has stood till happier times when the
services of the Church are held reverently and with
simple dignity, as in the ancient times of ecclesiastical
l8o HISTORY OF WITNEY.
order, long, ages ago. Let us hope it will never
witness anything but what is creditable to the best
traditions of the English race.
The Porch, with its good barrel vaulting and
disengaged columns, marking the transition from the
1 2th to 13th century styles, is a fine example of
the skill of the later Norman mason. There was
a time, and not so many years ago, when the
beauty of this part of the structure was almost
destroyed by the accumulation of soil at its base.
It is satisfactory to be able to point to the fact that
this reproach was entirely removed at the time of
the Restoration, some eight and twenty years ago.
INTERIOR.
An ancient well-designed wooden screen divides
the xivth century Chapel (now used as a Vestry)
from the small North-Western aisle of the nave. This
part of the fabric was the private Chapel of Caswell
House, to which reference has been made in a
former chapter. At all events, as some of the
inscriptions still remaining show, it was for a long
time the Wenman Mortuary Chapel. There is now,
besides some inscribed slabs on the floor, only one
mural monument of the Wenmans left, and that is
as late as Jacobean times. There is in stone,
however, a representation of a priest, with chasuble
and stole, and the conventional angels at the head,
and hound at the feet, though, from the absence
of an inscription, it is, of course, impossible to
determine whom it was intended to represent.
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. l8t
The roof of this aisle is poor, and perhaps was
constructed in place of an ancient one about forty
years ago, when economy rather than beauty was
studied.
The following, relating to Witney Church is
taken from an Harleian M.S.S. 965. Church Notes,
(fol : 14). (1644) :—
"At the West end of this Church is a large
North Yle, lately reedyfied by Sir. F. Wenman
4 or 5 years since."
The above Chapel was in a dreadful state of
dilapidation a few years ago. In the windows were
some remains of arms and devices in painted glass ;
on brackets were fixed two rusty helmets, ancient
swords and spears ; from the back projected a
number of banners with various arms of the Wenman
family and its connections, but these were reduced to
the merest shreds. Two or three funeral hatchments
decorated the walls, and the floor was covered with
Monumental slabs. The brasses were removed when
Rector Jerram transformed this part of the building
into a schoolroom. It is much to be regretted that
so many interesting relics of former times were,
through carelessness, destroyed or lost !
On leaving this part of the building, if the eye
is cast upward towards the wall of the nave, a little
circular round-headed window may be seen, which
has all the characteristics of Early Norman architecture.
It appears clear from this that the main walls of the
nave belong to the original Norman Church, which
stood before the beginning of the 13th century.
y
1 82 HISTORY OF WITNEY
This little window is by no means the only evidence
of the truth of this statement. Near the eastern
end of the nave, there are, on either side, facing
each other, two semi-circular openings, and the only
tenable theory respecting these, is, that they are the
splays of the headings of two external small windows
similar to the one just described, of the original
Norman nave. The walls of the latter were,
evidently, pierced in the 13th century, with four
bays on each side.
In this aisle stands the old Parish Chest, with
its three locks. Such a chest as this was used in
ancient times for the purpose of storing documents
and other articles of value.
The clerestory was added in the 15th century.
The view from the Western end of the nave
is grand, and impressive. This part of the
structure is well lighted by a great Western
window, and ten large clerestory windows ; the
Chancel, however, appears, when viewed from the
West end of the nave, clothed in a " dim religious
light," from the fact that it is lighted for the most part
by narrow lancet windows, such as were in use in the
13th century, when the glass placed in them was a
matter which entered into the calculations of all
builders of those early times on account of the expense
which attended its manufacture. The arches in the
nave are low, and somewhat ineffective, as indeed
was bound to bs the case, when the particular facts
which explain their erection, are taken into account.
Th^re is a sin^alar look of baldness about this part
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 83
of the fabric, but what it was like when, perhaps,
the walls shone with frescoes, and other paintings,
must be left to the reader's imagination.
The West window is, unfortunately, a modern
erection, and, though the upper tracery is fair, and
it would appear that the masons tried to follow the
lines of the original perpendicular work, yet this window
cannot be said to compare at all favourably with
those which were erected in an earlier age. It is
filled with stained glass by Wailes, of Newcastle, an
artist famous at one time, but whose work contrasts
unfavourably with the productions of such painters
as Clayton and Bell, Hardman, and Kemp. The
bright gay colours are painfully unlike the noble old
windows in Fairford Church, not far away, which,
might well have been studied as a model. The
subjects represented, are scenes from the life of
Joseph, this treatment being considered appropriate,
as the liberal donor, the late Miss Raine, was the
daughter of a steward of the Blenheim Estates.
The extensive roofs of the Church were restored
about the year 1848, by the Rev. Charles Jerram,
an earnest and generous Rector, one who did
excellent work, both material and spiritual, in his
day.
The little aisle to the south of the Nave, was
erected, probably in the 15th century. There is
here a painted window, in memory of Mr. H. C.
Townsend and other members of his family, which
may be pronounced one of the best modern specimens
of its style to be met with anywhere.
y
184 history of witney.
farmour's aisle.
On one of the massive structures, supporting
the tower which faces this aisle, is the remnant
of a richly canopied recess of considerable elegance
of design. Somewhere near this, a part of the
Church was formerly known as Farmour's aisle, perhaps
from the circumstance of a family of the name of
Farmour using it as their mortuary chapel or chantry ;
and in the will of one of the Farmours before referred
to, there is a very curious witness to the time of
the erection, or re-erection of an aisle in some part
of the Church.
Thomas Richards, alias Farmour, Senior,
of Witney, ancestor of the present Earl of
Pomfret, by his wills, dated September 9th., 1485
" left his body to be buried in the chapel of St.
Mary Magdalen, in the Church of Whitney, to the
altar in the chancel of the Blessed Virgin Mary in
that Church — for my tithes forgotten xx.li., to the
building of the aisle of the Blessed Mary Magdalen
in , the said Church, called Carsewell aisle xx.li ; to
Emmote my Wife, cc.li. with my goods and utensils
in my house at Whitney ; to William my son c.c.
marks, and all my lands in Chadlington ; to Richard
my son c.c. Marks, and all my lands in Filkings and
Langford ; to Alice, John, and Elizabeth Wenman,
children of Emmote my spouse xlviis ; all the
residue ot my goods, lands, &c, until my son come
to the age of twenty-one years, I bequeath to
E'.n.note mv Wife, whom I constitute my executrix ;
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 185
and I appoint Sir Richard Harcourt, Knight,
supervisor of this my will."
So much uncertainty hangs about the question
of where this Farmours aisle was, that we dare not
pronounce any decision. But we shall not be wrong,
in all probability, if we ascribe this Southern portion
of the fabric, as we see it now, to that period in English
History, when the nation was almost riven in two by
those who were fighting on behalf of the Yorkists on
the one side, and those who were contending for the
Lancastrians on the other.
The fine altar tomb of the Wenmans was placed
in the curious projecting bay in 1867. It stood for
a long time close to the arches between Wenman's
Chapel and the adjoining aisle, though, even this,
was probably not its original position. It has been
thought that it was placed in the north aisle of
the nave, one end against the wall, as now. A
screen near had been, evidently, cut to receive it
and then it concealed the middle figures by its
overlaying timbers. According to one description it
stood "between the pillars," as early as 1644, but
in other notes taken in 1594, it is thus described : —
" In the Weynman Chappell a faire tombe of
marbell with three images of brasse for the manne
and two wyves ; by his first wyfe he had thre
sonnes and thre daughters, and by his seconde wife
he had two daughters — About wche tombe is this
written in brasse : — "
" Of yor charitie prayc for the sowle of Richarde
Wenmane, Anne, and Christiane, his wyfe wche
^ 86 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Christiane decessed the xith daye of Aprill, in yere
of oure Lorde God, 1500. And the sayed Richarde
decessed the — day of — the yere of oure Lorde
1 5 10, and the sayed Anne decessed the — day of
— the yere of oure Lorde 15 — Manne in what state
that ever thou be, Timor mortis shall trobble thee
for when lest wynest veniet te superare."
The following quotation with respect to the dress
at the time of Henry VIII is of interest, as
indicating the period of the erection of this tomb : —
"Male. Reaching to the feet was a fur-lined
gown, open in front, but kept together by a belt,
usually turned back from neck to feet to renew the
fur. Sleeves wide, like a surplice. From the belt
a gypciere, or purse, was usually suspended together
with a short rosary. Shoes sharply pointed, but,
from this time onward, heeled sabots were used.
The hair worn long, reaching to the neck."
" Female. Pedimental head-dress temp : Henry VII
Little change till middle of Henry VIII. Exceedingly
stiff and hid the hair. Frontlets of velvet meet over
forehead. The dress had tight sleeves with fur cuffs.
Large embroidered belt, buckled loosely round the
waist, and its ends allowed to hang to the ground.
It may be seen that the dress, above described,
agrees in almost every respect with that of the
figures on the tomb.
Plain slabs to the memory of members of the
Freind family have been placed in the recess near,
though this, of course, was not their original positions.
The inscriptions on them are as follows : —
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 87
"ROBERTUS FREIND, S.T.P.
Gulielmi
Rectoris de Croton, in Com : Northampton
Filius
Inter cineres Janae Conjugis Filiique Caroli
(O carissima nomina !)
Suos etiam conquiescere voluit
Utinam et animae suae !
Heu ! Quanto minus innocenti
Locum Illis pariter contiguam
Sperare auderet
Ouam tamen utcunque deformatam
Divinae misericordiae mediante Jesu Christo
Haud nimium diffisus
Humillime commendavit
Mens. Augusti die 9110 Anno Dom., 1751
Natus Annos, 84
Nee longioris desiderio
Multum affectus
Erat
Arehididascalus Scholae Regiae Westmonasteriensis
Hujus Ecclesiae non ita pridem Rector
Praebendarius primo Windsoriensis
Deinde etiam Westmonasteriensis
Denique resignati prius Windsoriensi
./Edis Christi Oxoniensis Canonicus."
" Here lieth the body of William Freind, D.D.,
son of the above named, Robert and Jane, Dean
of Canterbury, and Rector of this Parish, who died
on the twenty-sixth day of November, in the year
MDCCLXVI, aged LI."
1 88 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
"H. S. E.
CAROLUS FREIND
Egregiae spei atq indolis
Suisq, quibus carissimus fuit,
Inopina morte prsereptus.
Morum innocentia Puer
Recte sentiendi facilitate
Et Pietatis Habitu
Ultra annos caelo maturus
Parentibus Fratrique
(Heu jam Unico, Q.D.C.)
Superstiti
Multum defletus desideratusq
Obiit, Jul. 1 6, 1736.
Currente anno CEtatis 16."
There is also a mural monument to the memory
of Jane, wife of Robert Freind, once Pastor of the
famous Reformed Church of Charenton, near Paris,
who, upon the persecution of the protestants under
Louis XIV, took refuge in England, and was made
Prebendary of Westminster.
THE SOUTH TRANSEPT
has on its southern end the finest perpendicular
window to be found in this Church. It is somewhat
less in width than its western neighbour in the nave,
but its height appears to be fully equal ; its very
tracery seems to suggest stained glass, and when the
window is filled with this, the Church will gain
greatly in effect, for it still needs colour. The
interior arch, now blocked up, was the entrance to
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 89
some Chapel or Chantry, which formerly stood here,
running parallel with the chancel.
It would seem that in ancient times this Chantry
was deemed private property, and, on the removal of
some remains of the building in 1820, certain persons
from Bristol put in a claim for the property, and
made a protest against its destruction. Previous to
its demolition, it seems to have been used as a
library of Reformation treatises, old chained Bibles, &c.
Canon LXXX ordained that a Bible of the largest
volume, the Book of Homilies, and the Book of
Common Prayer, were to be put in every Church, so
that people might read them if they pleased. There
are several of these Church libraries still to be
seen, though perhaps their use is obsolete. A.
portion of this structure was possibly in earlier
times the dwelling place of the Chaplain or Chantry
priest.
It is easy to trace, even now, the line of junction
here between new and old work. Close to this
interior arch, facing west, is an old piscina, the heading
of which has a plain bead moulding and no cusps.
Near are a pair of shallow recesses reaching down
to the floor, very curiously canopied with light and
elegant tracery of detached and open work. The
back wall was painted, probably early in ihe 16th
century, and there is a representation of the
pomegranate, the symbol of Queen Catharine of
Aragon. The period immediately preceding the
Reformation was a very spirited one, so far as Church
adornment was concerned, and it is certain that in many
190 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
parts of the kingdom much restoration and beautifying
of Churches went on. What is more likely than
that this zeal should manifest itself in Witney, and
induce the Churchmen here to spend their money
on such examples of the mason's craft and decorator's
skill. There appears to be no doubt that these
recesses were used for the purpose of containing
memorial altars. Above is a pair of lancet lights,
the slender side pillars of which are not completely
detached. Near is an aumbry, exhibiting indications
of the hinges for two doors ; its use was manifestly
to keep the vessels, employed in the service of the
two altars in this part of the Church. A doorway
near would originally give entrance to a court yard,
which ma)7 have been a kind of ambulatory for the
priests engaged in the Church.
The clerestory of this aisle is lighted by ten
very small windows with simple quater-foil tracery,
five on each side.
Before leaving this part of the fabric, the visitor
should go to the extreme south end of this transept.
There he may see such a view as can be obtained
in few country parish Churches. The plain, but
majestic high-pitched arches, which support the tower
and spire (narrower than those on the East and
West) are seen, and, further on, the beautiful
decorated window of the North Transept, with the
effigies of those who were perhaps buried beneath,
some five centuries ago. The interior length from
North to South is about 135 feet.
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 191
THE CHANCEL.
Next we come to the Chancel, which has regained
much of the architectural character which was given
to it in the 13th century. The three lancet-shaped
windows on the North are pure Early English, (date
1220, according to Mr. Parker, see Glossary of
Architecture, where there are engravings of portions of
Witney Church) but the decorated window on this
side is an insertion, though an early one, belonging
probably to the 14th century. The three lancet
lights in the East wall are modern, though probably
similar to those which originally adorned the Sacrarium
at its first erection. They were admirably designed
by Mr. Street, the Royal Academician, when
restoring the Church, to take the place of a former
debased window, which was out of harmony with
the rest of the Chancel. The following interesting
history belongs to the painted glass of two of the
windows on the North side : —
The present Rector, a few years ago, received a
visit from a gentleman who described himself as a
descendant of the Wenmans who had lived at Caswell
House. The erection of the new reredos was then
proceeding, and Mr. Wenman, whilst being shown
over the Church by Canon Norris, intimated that
he would be glad to subscribe to the work. The
Rector, however, stated that there was a sufficient
sum in his hands for the purpose, but said that if the
stranger really wished to do something for the Church
in which his ancestors had doubtless worshipped
I92 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
centuries ago, the placing of a stained window in the
edifice would be a graceful act. Mr. Wenman readily
fell in with the suggestion, leaving the subjects and
artist to be chosen by the Rector. The consequence
has been that two very good windows have found a
place on the North side of the Chancel. In one,
St. Michael is represented, spear in hand, and with
his foot on the dragon, and in the other St. Paul with
the traditional sword ; the blue cock and the anchor
from the Wenman crest and arms also appropriately
find a place here.
The Reredos may be said to be, perhaps, as
excellent an example of the sculptor's skill as can be
found anywhere in this part of the country. The
statues are of white alabaster, delicately accentuated
with gold. The Saviour is represented in the central
group with an angel on either side ; the other figures
represent the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St. John,
St. Mary Magdalene, and St. Peter. These are placed
in small recesses enriched with all the carver's art.
The whole symbolizes the doctrine of our Lord's
Resurrection, and leads up to the further scriptural
truths in the painted glass above. The subjects of
the East Window lights are as follows, commencing
from the bottom : —
(1). The Angel announcing the Resurrection to
the Maries.
(2). The walk to Emmaus.
(3). The unbelief of Thomas.
In other compartments are also the "Noli me
tangere," (Touch me not,) " The Eucharistic meal
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 93
at Eramaus," and the "Miraculous draught of Fishes."
Next above these is a representaton of the Ascension,
and, higher still, the figure of the Redeemer
enthroned in Heaven, represented with peculiar
grandeur of treatment, — the orb of the world
surmounted by the Cross of our Redemption in His
Right Hand, and the symbols of the four Gospels
above His Head, and under His Feet, while in the
highest space of the central light is the sacred
emblem of the Lamb of God. On either hand, in the
side lights, are the holy Angels swinging censers, and
thereby witnessing to the Godhead of Christ. The
following inscription is taken from a brass near
" To the Glory of God, and in memory of Augustine
Batt, M.D., son of Edward Augustine Batt, surgeon.
The reredos of this Church, was erected by his
fellow-townsmen and friends, amongst whom he
laboured with zeal and love foV thirty years. 1883."
In the South wall are two lancet-shaped windows
also filled with stained glass. They represent the
Angel of the Resurrection and the Visit of the Holy
Women to the Sepulchre, the Commission of St.
Peter and the delivery of the Pastoral Staff to
him by our Divine Redeemer.
The following inscription, on brass, has reference
to these last mentioned windows. "The two windows
on the South wall of the Chancel of this Church
are dedicated to the Glory of God in thankful
remembrance of the ministry of Francis Macaulay
Cunningham, Rector of Witney from 1864 to 1879,
and as a token of sympathy with him in the death
194 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
of his son, Francis Edward, late Government advocate
at Rangoon, British Burmah, who fell asleep in Christ
May 19th, 1877, aged 32."
There is here also a curious opening in the
stonework of the jamb of the Priests' door. This,
it has been thought, was formerly used for burning
the cloth of extreme unction.
The Organ is a first rate instrument ; part of
it has been in Witney Church for many years,
and used to stand in front of the great West
window. There is a story to the effect that both
this instrument, and an old Reredos, which formerly
found a place in this Church, were brought from
the Portuguese Embassy in London, in 1794. Several
large waggons were loaded, it is said, with the
materials, and their arrival was hailed with the
acclamations of the people, and the ringing of the
bells. This Organ was built by Schnetzler, who was
also the builder of the organ at the University
Theatre at Oxford. But whatever may have been the
earlier local history of the older portions of the
present splendid instrument, its excellence is practically
due to Mr. E. Walker, the well-known organ builder
whose name it very properly bears, so thorough was
its reconstruction and enlargement at the time of
the Restoration of the Church. To Mr. Martin, of
Oxford, also, it owes much in recent additions and
costly improvements, defrayed by subscription and by
the generous gifts of a lay parishioner who desires
his name not to be given,
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 1 95
The following is taken from one of the Parish
Registers : —
"Memorandum, March 12, 1716. I, Mr. Stephen
Hemming, musick-instrument-maker, promise the day
and year above mentioned, to give an organ to the
Parish Church of Witney, if I recover the estate
of Mr. William Hemming of Antegua, deceased, and
that the goodness of the organ shall be proportionable
to what I receive from the estate of my deceased
Uncle, aforesaid."
There does not appear to be any evidence that
this proposed thank-offering was ever paid ; it may
be concluded, therefore, that the estate in Antigua
was not recovered by the claimant.
The roof of the Chancel is quite modern, but
an excellent imitation, in all probability, of the one
which stood here originally. Like the Eastern
triplet, under Mr. Street's direction at the restoration,
it was substituted for the somewhat debased work
of the 15th century, which had previously prevented
the fine proportions of the Early English Chancel
from being understood.
THE STEEPLE.
Four Early English high-pitched arches, of
singularly fine proportions and majestic simplicity,
with massive piers of solid masonry, on which traces
of colour still remain, support the tower and spire.
The spire is what, in Leicestershire and elsewhere,
would be called a Broach, that is, it springs from
the tower without any intermediate parapet. It rises
to a height of about 156 feet from the ground; so it
I96 HISTORY OF WITNEY
may be imagined what a huge superincumbent weight
the four lancet arches, opening into the Church, have
to support. The arches are finished at their spring
with a plain abacus.
Above is the present ringing chamber, with its
floor decorated below as a ceiling, with questionable
taste, at some late period. But this is hidden by a
lower ceiling of thin boards, put up at the time
of the restoration.
The ringers' chamber has a triforium passage
running round, reached from a cleverly planned
staircase, which also goes up the tower. The staircase
is at the South-East angle, and in former times
gave approach to the four sided roodloft, the landings
of which may be still discovered in the stonework.
The staircase, eventually, blends itself into the buttress
upon the Eastern face of the tower. All this is
pure and good 13th century architecture.
The triforium is very remarkable. Its arches
are gable shaped, and moulded in two orders. The
belfry windows are Early English lancets, with
labels. Those in the West are not so tall, the
weather cornice below being also raised, indicating
that the old high-pitched nave roof was somewhat
steeper than that of the Chancel The tower is
finished by a corbelled cornice, weathered twice
above, before the spire is reached ; the pinnacles
are octagonal, with beads at angles, and are decorated
with nail-heads and trefoils, the spires being finished
with heavy finials. But what attracts universal
attention is the great elegance of the spire-lights,
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 197
which are considered to be of exquisite design.
They are in two panels, with a dividing transom
in the centre, with trefoil heads, and a plate tracery
quatre-foil in the gable, on the apex of which is
some double plated crestings of bold composition.
The spire is broken midway with some small openings,
and a band having sculptured bosses where it meets
the roll of the spire. The spire is finished in a
foliated finial and weather-vane.
On one of the walls that support this lantern
is a very appropriate marble monument, illustrative
of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Underneath
is the following inscription : —
" In Memory of Edward Augustine Batt, late of
this town, Surgeon. He died October 22nd, 1853,
aged 53 years."
" His professional career extended over a period of
nearly thirty years, and was distinguished by a rare
combination of zeal, ability, and success. This
monument is erected by friends to whom he had
endeared himself by his many social qualities, and
genuine goodness of heart, as a memorial of their
gratitude for the services of a life of incessant and
unwearied devotion to the alleviation of bodily
suffering."
THE NORTH TRANSEPT.
In journeying from the Chancel to this part
of the Church, two lancet shaped arches with
projecting drip stones on the Eastern wall, and
ornamented with slender columns quite detached
from the wall, on each side of the splays, first claim
I98 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
attention. In the place of one of the lancets
a three light window has been inserted, filling the
whole internal arch ; its form is peculiar, having the
three lights subdivided into six, at the bottom as
well as at the top. Beneath this there is a reredos
of three unequal arched recesses, and in one of the
intervals of stonework is a place for the reception
of, perhaps, a plate of silver. A row of nine small
cuspated panels is below the centre, filled with a
well carved boss, the rest with open quartre-foils.
The painting of the glass in the window above
is excellent, the harmony of colour being surely
perfect. A great interest attaches to this, and
the S. John Baptist window next to it. They were
lately erected in memory of two Mr. Wrights, father
and son, by the widow of the latter, resident in
Philadelphia, U.S.A. The father was originally
connected with the Blanket trade of Witney.
All the painted windows which have been given
during the last 15 years (except one by Hardman,
offered in memory of Mr. Bateman, of Asthall Manor
by his widow) are the work of Messrs. Clayton and
Bell, 311, Regent Street. An ancient piscina is near,
and above is a shallow recess, which, possibly, may
have contained two statues in a past age. The old
colouring remains — a black ground with white flowers
and a trade mark of some wool merchant, as it
seems — On the chamfered jambs is a rose coloured
ground bearing white conventional lilies.
This North Transept is remarkable for having
had at its Northern termination a crypt, or undercroft.
ECCLESIASTICAL • WITNEY. 1 99
In the North wall are two plain arches, beneath
which, by right of foundership, it would seem that
the builders of the Chapel were interred. It was
the fashion, during the period of the use of the
Decorated style, for mortuary arches to be inserted,
but they appear never to have been put anywhere
except in the North walls. Above these mortuary
arches are two rich monumental arches, with horizontal
heads, supporting the sill of the beautiful seven light
window. These are filled in with ogee, arched, and
skilfully designed, cuspated tracery, and contain
recumbent effigies of a man and woman. One who
visited the Church in 1644, has left a record to the
effect that the old clerk told him, that it was at
that time believed that they represented the founders
of the Chapel and crypt. It may be that they
were monuments to the Auditor or Steward of
the Witney Palace of the Bishops of Winton.
In the West wall of this aisle there is a curious
aumbry, more than five feet in length, but with
only a small door opening. Here in troubled times
gold and silver altar-plate may have been hidden.
In the little aisle to the West of this transept
there is an ancient altar-shelf with niched reredos,
of simple, but good, execution.
Near this ancient reredos is a painted window,
under which is a brass plate which has on it the
following inscription : —
" To the Glory of God, and in memory of Henry
Bateman, of Asthall, and Witney, at reot December
200 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
3rd, 1 88 1. This window was presented by his
widow."
On the other side is a door leading up to the
small room over the porch, where a caretaker or
some official, might in old times guard the Church.
This parvise chamber is of quaint workmanship,
and there is a small interior window in the South
wall, apparently to enable the custodian to see any
persons who entered the Church below.
THE BELLS.
Some information with respect to the Bells,
which were formerly in use at this Church, may be
found by referring to an earlier part of this
chapter. Those, which are at present in this edifice,
retain, with one exception, the following original
inscriptions : —
" 1. Augustine Batt, Thomas Sanders. 1765."
11 2. Prosperity to the Church of England. 1755."
"3. May the Church for ever flourish. 1761."
"4. Anthony Geeves, Arthur Brooks,
William Wearing, Philip Box,
Churchwardens, Henry Bayley
made me January the first. I731-"
(This Henry Bayley was a noted bell-founder.
He lived originally at Chalcomb, but afterwards
removed to Witney.)
" 5. Thomas Doone, Michael Dolley,
Churchwardens. 1 765."
" 6. Prosperity to the Parish, and the
trade thereof. I755-"
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 201
"7. William Smith, William Tanner. 1660."
" 8. I, to the Church the living call,
And to the grave I summon all,
J. N. Lawrence, Henry Salmon,
Churchwardens. 181 5."
" J. Mears, London, Fecit."
During the present Rectorate, however, the fourth
bell, being defective, was re-cast with the following
inscription : —
"Recast by Bond, Burford, Oxon, 1885, W. Foxley
Norris, Rector, J Habgood, J. Stoddart, Churchwardens,"
and the motto " Gloria tibi Domine." The Bell
Chamber, also, has been made more comfortable for
the ringers, and a peal-board erected. There is a
promising corps (affiliated to the Diocesan Guild)
who have made considerable progress in scientific
ringing.
CLOCK AND CHIMES.
The Clock, which is a capital specimen, was
purchased by subscription in 1875. There are few
places which have such excellent chimes as Witney.
They were placed in the Church through the
generosity of the late Mrs. Warrington and her
nephew, the Rev. J. H. Usill, in memory of Mr.
Leonard Warrington. Messrs. Gillett & Bland, of
Croydon, were the engineers and designers of the
curious and complicated machinery ; and when first
used there was a carillon which played fourteen
tunes. In process of time the tunes became out of
order, and were replaced by seven new ones. Since
then, seven more have been added by Mr. F. S.
202 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Walter, the present custodian of the Clock and
Chimes.
RECTORS OF WITNEY.
The present Rector of Witney, has compiled an
approximately correct list of his predecessors, almost
from the commencement of the 13th century. This
list he has written on parchment, and, very properly,
placed in the porch of the Church. In the attempt
to make a record of those who had preceded him in
the Rectorate, he was very largely assisted by the
laborious investigations of the late Mr. Langford, of
Eynsham, who had searched very carefully through
the copies of the Lincoln Registers, preserved in the
Harleian MSS. Department of the British Museum.
1209. Humphrey de Midliere.
1219. Dionysius.
He was presented to the living, on the resignation
of Master Humphrey. The King gave orders to
Thomas de Langley (who probably lived at the
place, which was notable as being the Hunting Lodge
of several of the Sovereigns of England) to allow
Robert Arsic, baron of Coggs to give and sell timber
to this Rector of Witney, who also seems to have
occupied the position of Clerk to the Bishop of
Winchester. It may be that the Dionysius had much
to do with the splendid re-construction of Witney
Church in the 13th century.
1227. Helyas de Glovernia, or as we should
now say — Elias of Gloucester. He was a sub-deacon
presented by Bartholemew of Winchester.
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 203
1236. William de St. Mary Church, official of
the Bishop of Winchester.
1243. Ralph Grosset, or Grosstete.
As this Incumbent was of the same name
as the Bishop of Lincoln ; it is likely he was also
of his kindred.
How interesting would it be to learn that the
noble steeple of S. Mary's was originally designed by
Bishop Grosstete, in whose vast Diocese it then was !
1250. Peter of Cambray.
1 26 1. William Vacce.
This was the Rector through whom an attachment
was issued against the Bishop of Winchester for
transgressing the Forest Laws, by taking venison,
and grubbing the wood-land in Witney Chase, to
which reference was made in a preceding Chapter.
This Rector appears to have presented the first Vicar
of Witney.
13 10. William Vacce, a nephew of the former.
He was presented by " Papal provision."
1 31 8. Thomas de Tessunt. He appears to have
exchanged with the previous Rector for the living
of Hagworthingham.
1336. John de Orleton. Preb. of Hereford.
No doubt this Rector was a relative of Adam de
Orleton, at this time Bishop of Winchester.
1338. John Trillet. Preb : afterwards Bishop
of Hereford.
1340. Ralph Folliot.
1359. Robert de Wykford, Archdeacon of
Winchester. In 1375 Archbishop of Dublin.
204 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
1362. John de Cricklade.
1369. John French. He exchanged with the
last mentioned Rector, for the living of Wythendon.
But he soon made another exchange ; this time for
the Rectory of Uppingham in Northamptonshire.
1370. John de Kellseye, Preb. of Lincoln.
1378. Nicholas de Wykeham. He was probably
a nephew of William of Wykeham, who presented
him with the living. He was Rector 36 years, and
it is most likely that considerable alterations and
improvements took place in the Church during his
long Rectorate. Perhaps most of the beautiful 14th
century additions were made by him. This Rector
was at one time warden of New College, and
Archdeacon of Winchester.
1414. John Frank, Archdeacon of Suffolk.
1422. Robert Catryk. Preb. of Lichfield.
1442. William Escour.
1446. John Cokkys. Preb : of Lincoln. Rector
30 years. He was presented to the living by William
of Waynflete, an ecclesiastic, high in favour with the
unfortunate Henry VI. The latter was so anxious
to obtain his favourite's admission to the see of
Winchester that he dispensed with the " Papal
provision," an act which illustrates the independent
spirit of our Kings in spite of the domineering
authority of the Court of Rome.
It would seem that this Rector was the brother
or nephew of the Lady Grey, whose maiden name was
Elizabeth Woodville, and who on her second marriage
became the Queen of Edward IV. It is pleasant
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 205
to tell, without venturing to treat it as history, how
the King of England first met, and lost his heart
to this lady while hunting near Witney, in Wychwood
Forest.
1475. Lionel Woodville, afterwards Bishop of
Salisbury.
1479. Edward Cheyney, D.C.L., Dean of Salisbury
1502. Nicholas West, L.L.D. He had been
Curate of Yelford. In 151 5 he was raised to the
see of Ely, and in 1885, the remains of the late
lamented Bishop of Ely (Woodford) were interred
in the vault which had sheltered for nearly four
centuries, those of Bishop West, once the Rector of
Witney.
1 5 1 5. George Gray.
1 5 19. Richard Sydner, Archdeacon of Tomers,
Canon of Windsor, &c. The arms of this Rector were
formerly emblazoned in the East window of the
Chancel, and in 1^94 they were copied by a visitor.
The inscription on the glass was — " Pray for the
soul of Mr. Richard Sydner Anno Domini 1534."
1529. John Higdon, D.D., Preb. of Magdalen
College, and then Dean of Cardinal College (Ch. Ch.)
1532. Edmund Stewari, L.L.D., Dean of
Winchester.
1581. John Underhill, B.D., also Vicar of
Bampton. Rector of Lincoln College, and afterwards
Bishop of Oxford, 1589. He appears to have retained
the Rectory of Witney " the actual cure of which
was with the Vicar."
1 614. Humphrey Ailsworth,
206 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
1635. Robert Hill.
1638. Dr. Thomas Jackson, also Prebendary of
Winton, and Dean of Peterborough. It is said he
was appointed to this living mainly through the
influence of Archbishop Laud, who seems to have
had very much power over this Rector of Witney.
Dr. Jackson's views, at first, were decidedly Puritanical,
but under the power of Laud and Neile they
changed, so that he incurred the displeasure of the
Presbyterians, especially of Prynne. At Laud's trial
he was described as " a known Arminian." Anthony
a Wood, (Athenae Oxon.) says "He was a person
furnished with all learned languages, arts and sciences,
metaphysics which he looked upon as a necessary
hand-book to Divinity." Southey describes him " as
the most valuable of our English divines," and
Pusey asserted that he was " one of the best and
greatest minds our Church had nurtured." Dr.
Jackson was instituted to the living of St Nicholas,
Newcastle, in 1623, and there he appears to have resided
principally. He had been designed originally for a
commercial career, and Fuller the Church Historian and
this Rector's very intimate friend says in connection
with the holding of the living of Newcastle, that
Jackson became " a factor for Heaven, where he was
once designed a merchant." This Rector was the
author of several theological works, but he will always
be remembered for his Commentary on the Apostles'
Creed — a work of great learning and research. On
an edition of this important treatise the late lamented
Dr. Norris, Archdeacon of Bristol and only brother of
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 207
Canon Norris, of Witney, was engaged at the time
of his death. Dr. Jackson was buried in Corpus
Christi Chapel, but no stone remains to his memory.
1640. Thomas White, who seems to have
continued Rector during the dark and heavy days
for the English Church, between 1640 and 1655.
1655. Ralph Brideoak.
The following is summarised from Antony a
Wood : —
Ralph Brideoak made acquaintance with Lenthall
by earnestly applying to him on behalf of the Earl
of Derby ; and Lenthall, finding him to be a man of
parts and business, made him his own chaplain and
preacher at the Rolls, in spite of clamour about his
being a malignant. Afterwards Lenthall, being Lord
of the Manor of Witney, made him Vicar (sic), where
being settled he preached twice every Lord's Day,
and in the evening catechised the youth in his own
house, outdoing in labour and vigilancy any of the
godly brethren in those parts. Through Lenthall he
procured the annexation of the Rectory to the
Vicarage. Lenthall sent for him when on his death
bed in his remorse for the part he had taken against
the King. He appears to have conformed to the
Presbyterians before this time, and was made minister
of S. Bartholomews by the Exchange, London, where
in holding forth, preaching and laying about him in
the pulpit, he equalled any of the holy brethren in
the city. After the Restoration, he was rapidly
promoted, and as Wood intimates was at last, by
means of disreputable bribery, made Bishop of
208 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Chichester in 1675. This person, who had spent the
chief part of his life in continual agitation for the
obtaining of wealth and settling a family, died in
1678, and was buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.
The following, too, is of some interest respecting
this Rector : —
" I^5S- Jan- 8. Col. Thos. Kelsey to the Council
gave a caveat against Mr. Brideoak, presented to
Witney by Speaker Lenthall."
"(1). Upon a complaint of some honest men, of
Witney, that he was a Cavalier and a dull preacher."
"(2). He was Chaplain to the late Earl of Derby
and was in Lathom House, a garrison for the King."
" (3). He was desired by Dr. John Gurdon to
preach at Peter's Westminister, but Mr. Strong, then
preacher there, refused to suffer such a person to
preach in his pulpit. Afterwards the Governor gave
leave, but his preaching of unsound doctrines gave
much dissatisfaction, and, as Mr. Scobell states, was
little less than Popery."
" (4). He was afterwards sent to Long Molton
Parish, Norfolk, but, being disliked, Mr. Gurden wrote
to Mr. Scobell to prevent his being settled there."
" (5). Col. F. Mergill, M.P., a gentleman of
Norfolk, told me that his sermons were stuffed with
many sentences out of Grotius and some Jewish
Rabbis, and very dull and unprofitable, and that the
honest people were much troubled there. The Colonel,
coming to London, made enquiry after him, and
found by Thos. Brown, grocer, in Wood Street, that
a customer of his, living in Warrington, in Lancashire;)
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 209
was taken prisoner and carried near Lathom House,
where Brideoak was, and Brideoak wished the late Earl
Ashby to hang him up, saying he was a Puritanical
rogue."
" (6). Brideoak has promised that he will never
come to settle in Witney without consent of the
honest people there, which people are very much
troubled at his coming, as appears by a certificate in your
hands." {Cat. of State Papers by Mr. Green, 1655).
1676. Ralph Trumbull, (alias Weckerlin), Rector
thirty-two years.
1708. Richard Duke, Prebendary of Gloucester,
and Proctor in Convocation. Dr. Felton says " he
was a bright example in the several parts of writing,
whether we consider his original, his translations,
paraphrases, or imitations." He was admired by many,
not only as a Divine, but as a Poet.
171 1. Robert Freind, D.D. This was a very
distinguished Rector. He was Head Master of
Westminster School, and a very successful and able
teacher ; indeed the social position which he acquired
made Westminster School the favourite place for the
education of the aristocracy. A portrait of this
Rector may be seen at Christ Church, and in the
library of the same College there is a bust of him, as
there is also one at Westminster School. He was a
good scholar, though it would seem that Pope sneered
at his learning, for in the Dunciad the following
passage occurs : —
" Let Freind affect to speak as Terence spoke,
And Alsop never but like Horace joke,"
2IO HISTORY OF WITNEY.
What Pope, with his harsh judgment of men
and things, may really have thought of Freind is of
no particular interest. The works of Robert Freind
yet remain for the discernment of those who are
calculated to judge of such matters. Certainly Freind
appears to have, somehow or other, acquired the
enmity of "the little wasp of Twickenham." The
former is said to have written several epitaphs, and
this fact drew from Pope the following epigram : —
" Freind for your epitaphs I grieve,
Where still so much is said,
One half will never be believ'd,
The other never read."
His house at Westminster was the resort of all
the wits and famous men of the time. Swift in
his journal to Stella says, " To-night at six, Dr.
Atterbury, and Prior, and I, and Dr. Freind, met
at Dr. Robert Freind's house, at Westminster, who
is Master at the School." The other Dr. Freind
mentioned, was a brother of the Rector of Witney,
and a celebrated physician. Robert Freind was
buried in Witney Church, where a mural tablet may
be seen to his memory.
1 75 1. William Freind, D.D. The former Rector
resigned his living, and through the influence of the
Queen, and Lady Sundon, succeeded in making it
over to his son. Bishop Hoadley, the notorious
latitudinarian of those times, when asked to confer
the living on William' Freind, made the following
laconic answer " If Dr. Freind can ask it I can
grant it." This Rector was Dean of Canterbury,
ECCLESIASTICAL WITNEY. 211
and Rector of Islip, as well as of Witney. He is
described as a man of integrity, modesty, and
benevolence, with a very fine taste in music. He
died a wealthy man, having inherited the greater
part of the fortune of his uncle, the physician. He
did not reside at Witney, and it is probable that
the same remark might be made about several of
the preceding Rectors, for though the living of
Witney was, in those days, a very valuable one,
yet the Rectory House, as before stated, was
an unpretentious and inconvenient structure. So
in compensation for his non-residence, Dr. William
Freind built the present large and commodious
Rectory. He, doubtless, satisfied his conscience by
the particular course he adopted, but how the
parishioners of Witney would be compensated for the
years when they were without a spiritual head, is a
difficult query to answer. He also built Hailey Chapel
of Ease, now an ivy-mantled ruin, its place being
taken by a good new Church, erected through the
zeal of the late vicar, Mr. Rolfe, on another site,
and designed by his son.
1 77 1. Henry Phipps Weston. The present
Rector has acquired for the Rectory (through the
kindness of their owners) two oil paintings, one of
Rector Weston, and the other of his wife.
1795. Hon. Edward Legge, L.L.B. This
Rector was consecrated Bishop of Oxford in 1815.
His portrait is at Cuddesdon Palace.
1797. Robert Barnard. This Rector was also
non-resident. He is said to have held three other
212 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
cures besides that of Witney. The Rev. John Hyde
during this period attended to the spiritual wants
of the Parish. The latter was also Rector of
Carfax Church, Oxford.
1834. Charles Jerram. Formerly Rector of
Cobham, Surrey. He was a zealous and able preacher.
He caused to be erected two small chapels, one
at Curbridge and the other at Crawley ; and the
Church of Holy Trinity on Woodgreen. The roofs
of the Parish Church of St. Mary were also restored
at a cost of between ^3000 and ^"4000. He too,
by his personal influence, abolished the practice of
shopping on Sunday morning.
1853. Richard Sankey. The Schools on Vicar's
Close, Church Green, were built during his Rectorate.
1863. Francis Macaulay Cunningham. By the
efforts of this Rector the Church was renovated and
restored to much of its original grandeur. Early
Celebrations and daily services in the Church were
also established during this Rectorate. The Glebe
House, too, was greatly improved and thoroughly
restored, and the old Churchyard levelled and
tastefully planted.
1879. William Foxley Norris, Rural Dean,
Hon. Canon of Ch. Ch. (1890). During his Rectorate
the National Church Schools have been twice enlarged ;
the beautiful Reredos in the Parish Church has been
erected, and twelve windows filled with stained glass.
The whole of the seats in the Church have also
been freed from private appropriation.
CHAPTER VII.
tflonconfotmxty anti Mtitnet>>
.JjjJpT is certain, as may be seen from the chapter
^ dealing with Ecclesiastical Witney, that in the
1 6th century there were many in this town whose
ideas of worship and of ritual were not in accord
with the teaching of the Established Church. But
for years they continued in that Church, and
endeavoured by every means in their power to
introduce such reforms as their consciences directed.
As is well known, persecution attended their efforts.
Centuries before this, however, persecution had
commenced ; for that weak prince, Richard II, was
wheedled into staining our history with the record
of violence offered to a man for the freedom of his
judgment in matters relating to faith and worship.
The part some of the Witney people took in their
endeavours to abolish various rites and ceremonies
in 1521, has been already referred to. Then came
214 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
the Reformation, started on so wrong a principle, the
object of Henry VIII being merely to cast off the
authority of the Pope, and to set up his own,
without any reference to matters of doctiine at all.
History is silent with regard to the share Witney
people had in events of some importance to themselves,
and to everyone in the land, which soon ensued.
Whether any of its inhabitants suffered for objecting
to the Act of Supremacy ; whether there were those,
who in the reign of Mary were willing to give up their
lives for the Tiuth's sake, we do not know. It is
probable there were such, for it was these people,
or those who thought like them, who later became
known as the Puritans.
In 1659 there is evidence that the Quakers had
established themselves in the town. About this
period, a Friend, by name John Guiles, visited the
place, and not long after Richard Greenaway and
Thomas Looe also came to the blanket-making town.
It was the ministry of Thomas Looe, at Oxford,
which first reached William Penn, then an
undergraduate at Christ Church, and induced him
to come into closer connection with the society.
Later on it inspired him with such love for its
doctrine that he braved the knife of the savage in
the back woods of America, rather than give up his
right to worship God in the way in which his
conscience directed.
Richard Greenaway and Thomas Looe were
received at Witney by Kester Hart and his wife,
and the latter were convinced of the blessed truth in
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 21 5
which they lived and died." Meetings were for
several years held in their house, and when the
present Meeting House was first erected, John Hart,
the son of the former mentioned pair, made over a
quarter-of-an-acre of his property, adjoining the
Chapel, to the Society. This John Hart was one of
the passengers who sailed with Mr. Penn in the
"Welcome" to Pennsylvania, and his name occurs
in the list of those elected members of the first
Assembly in that distant land. (1683).
About the year 1675, the number of Friends
had increased so much in the neighbourhood, that
for the sake of discipline, monthly meetings of men
and women were established. Witney was a
convenient centre for such a cluster of meetings, and,
although there can be no doubt at all that in
various parts of the country there were inconveniences
which attended the belonging to this sect, in
Witney the members appear to have escaped, to a
large extent, any persecution whatever. In the
Record book, belonging to the Society, the only
circumstance there mentioned, which can be said in
any way to savour of persecution, is an entry in
1674 to the effect that nine Quakers were fined 5/-
" for being present at a meeting at Alvescott, which
was broken up by Justices John Gower, of Weale,
and John Lunn, of Clanfield, with Walter Powell,
priest, of Alvescott, as informer, and others." Indeed,
so far as the Church of England at Witney was
concerned, the Friends appear to have been treated
with unusual consideration, and it is evident, from
2l6 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
numerous entries such as the following, which occur
frequently in the Register of Deaths belonging to
Witney Church : — " buried amongst ye Quakers,"
— that a special part of the Churchyard was set
apart for the Friends' own use. This was the
treatment so far as Witney was concerned. Very
different was that which these inoffensive people
experienced in other places in the land. The
Conventicle Act ordained " that all persons, above
sixteen, convicted of attending a religious service in
any other form than that prescribed by the Anglican
Church, five more than the household being present,
became liable to punishment — three months in prison
for the first offence, six for the second, and seven
years' transportation for the third." While this
venomous act affected equally Roman Catholics and
Dissenters, yet it was felt more severely by the
Quakers, because they deemed it their duty to
assemble openly, and to set at defiance the law of
man. Neither was the persecution of short duration ;
for while the Church authorities at Witney seem to
have been charitably disposed, the oppression of
these Dissenters in many other places in the land did
not cease till the Revolution of 1688. In justice
to the Church of England it must be stated that
the Conventicle Act, and others of a like nature,
were the work of Parliament, because at that period
dissent was looked upon as a political danger. The
Quakers, as is well known, adopted a policy of
non-resistance. No less than 2,500 of them were
in prison at one time, and their wives and children
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 217
left at home were subject to the plunder and
insult of the King's officers. It is said that
Archbishop Sancroft, when appealed to with regard
to the matter, made the remark that "it required
crooked timber to build a ship."
The first minute book of the Witney Quakers
commences with a record of a monthly meeting, held
at " Northly, 13 of xth (Deer.) 1675." It is a small
book, 6J by 4 inches, solidly bound in leather, with
the remains of four thongs, to fasten it together.
The first monthly meeting, held at Witney, opens
with the following statement : —
"At ye monthly meeting at Wittney, ye 8th
of ye nth month, 1676, Walter, the son of John
Turner, of Black Borton, bound unto William
Surgood, of Drayton, narrow weaver, and the mony
beinge six pounds then payd unto him. Witness
his hand."
Several signatures are annexed to this, amongst
others that of John Hart, previously mentioned.
The following curious entry occurs in connection
with a meeting held "ye nth day of ye 6th month.
1679."
"Elizabeth, ye wife of Drue Steward, presented
a paper to ye meeting concerning a vision which
she saw, concerning Friends, that they should not
suffer any oath to be taken concerning burying their
dead, and upon perusall and consideration thereof
Friends of ye monthly meeting do unanimously
agree with it, and recomend it to ye consideration
of Friends at ye Quarterly meeting."
n
2l8 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
The oath, referred to above, was that which was
required to be taken by the nearest surviving
relative of a deceased person with regard to the
burial of the latter in a woolkn shroud, as ordained
by a law, passed in the reign of Charles II, with the
object of stimulating the woollen manufacture. In
the Register of Deaths for Witney, there appears,
after the entry of decease, "received certificate that
was buried in burying clothes of sheep's
wool only." It may be remarked that the entries
with respect to burial in a woollen shroud extend
over a long period of years. It is probable that this
law was enacted more rigorously at Witney than in
many other places, on account of its connection with
the staple industry of the town. This law was very
unpopular, as is evident from Pope's lines in one of
his moral essays, where he represents Nance Oldfield,
the actress, under the name of Narcissa, as saying : —
"Odious in woollen, 'twould a saint provoke
Were the last words that poor Narcissa spoke,
No! Let a charming chintz of Brussels lace
Wrap my cold limbs and shade my lifeless face ;
One would not sure be frightful when one's dead.
And, Betty, give this cheek a little red."
The statute was repealed by 54, George III, c.
108. The law was sometimes evaded in an ingenious
way. Mr. J. E. Bayley, of Stratford, near Manchester,
has stated that during the time that the Act was in
force corpses were sometimes covered simply with
hay and flowers, a notification of which is sometimes
found in parish registers. He adds: "The materials
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 219
are hereabouts called strewings. I find in the
register of an adjoining parish : " Buryed in sweet
flowers only." (C/i. Folk- Lore?) In other cases it
is said that the bodies were " not wound or buried
saving only in sweet flowers and hay." Affidavits
were made to that effect.
The following shows how strict was the rule of
the Friends in matters which would now be regarded
as of a very private nature.
"At ye meeting, ye 14th, 12 mo., 1680, giles
Larner and his wife did appear, according as was
required, and ye matter of difference between ym.
was heard, and we do find, according to their own
propositions, yt. ye matter is somewhat reconciled,
and they do signifie yt. they do intend to endeavour
to live unanimously together, according to their
intent and purpos when they were joyned in marage.
In wittnesse whereof they do hereunto put their
hands.
Giles £ Larner
his mark.
Ann V Larner,
her mark."
" At ye monthly meeting, 8th of ye 10th mo., 1679.
It is ordered and agreed yt Friends shall provide a
carage, fitt for to carry ye corps to ye burying
ground," and at a meeting in 10 month, 1681, "it
is agreed yt. Jo Clark shall provide harnesse, according
to his discretion, to draw ye carage yt is provided to
carry corps, for ye use of Friends, and to bring an
account of ye charge to ye next monthly meeting."
220 HISTORY OF WITNEY
It is evident from the above that Quakers at
this period were scattered in all the towns and
villages round Witney, and that something of a
substantial nature was required for the purpose of
conveying their dead.
Though persecution may not have attended the
Friends at Witney, yet it is evident from the
following entry that there were those in the town
who were either too intolerant of any religious body
other than that to which they may have belonged,
or else that there were those who assembled to
interrupt from a pure love of mischief.
"The nth of 8 mo. 1686 John Ffiexney and
Daniel was ordered by ye meeting to
endever to still ye reude peopel, and ceepe things
in good order."
The Meeting House belonging to the Friends
was purchased in 1674 as appears from the following
"Thomas Minchin bought the ould housing and
ground, and have bene at great part of the charg
of bulding Witney Meeting House ; wher upon
friends of the Monthly meeting desiered a bill of
his charges which he brought into our Monthly
meeting ; and when we cast it up it appeared to be
four skor and three pounds and upwards, which he
ireely gave to be at the servis of truth."
"And Thomas Minching, John Harris, and Silas
Norton have gave up their interest they have had
in Witney Meeting hous, to Michael Reynolds,
Jeremiah Wearing, Samuel Wheeler, and John Hope
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 221
for that end and purpose, that it may be preserved
for a meeting hous for ever."
" Also Samuel Wheeler have undertook to lay up
the Righting belonging to Witny Meeting' hous
till friends doo see it convenient to move them."
In 1695 some intention was expressed of building
a school.
" It is ordered that Silas Norton and John Hope
doo acquaint friends that they bring or send the
money that they are willing to give towards ye
building ye Skolle hous belongin to Witney Meeting
hous."
From the minutes of a business meeting in 1697
it is possible to discover the names of those who
identified themselves with the cause of the Friends
in Witney and the neighbourhood. They were as
follows : —
John Clark Willi Warring
Jera Wearing Gilles Tidmarsh
Willi Right Hewry Ffranklin
Willi Heydon Ffran Dring
Hen Brisco John Flexney
At the same meeting " it was ordered that Teram
Wearing should send a letter to Willi Pettifer to
understand his mind concerning Gorg Weason to
consider sum way how to get him oute of prison
by ye late Act."
The discipline exercised by the Friends is again
shown by the following entry : —
" It was ordered that Willi Wearing and Henry
Brisco should goo and sell ye Widdow Wateres
222 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
goods for to pay ye said Widd depte, and bring
an account to ye Monthly meeting of it, also it
was ordered that John Clark and Jeremiah Wearing
should goo to the Skole so often as they shall see
meete to see as good order be cept ; also it was
ordered that Daniel Fflexney should assist Margreat
Hamblin, and bring an account to ye Monthly
meeting of what they have done in geating of their
depts up."
Most curious is it to note how particular the
Friends were with respect to marriage.
" Thomas Smith, blanket maker, sun of Thomas
Smith of Heyley, carpenter, declared his intention of
taking Jeane Dutton, widdow, to be his wife, and
the said Jeane Dutton declared her intention of
taking ye said Thomas Smith to be her husband,
and he is to bring a certificate from his father to
signifie his consent, and Jeremiah Wearing and
John Fflexney are appointed to make inquiry
conserning their clearness upon ye account of
marriag, and bring an account to ye next monthly
meeting."
" It is ordered that Jo Fflexney should go to
the Church warder to understand a method convenient
to dispose of ye money gother (gathered ?) on ye
brifes (briefs) and give an account to ye next
Monthly meeting."
An account of "Briefs" may be found in the
chapter on Ecclesiastical Witney ; it would appear
from the above entry that Nonconformists were
expected to contribute to these " relics of Popery "
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 223
as well as Church people, and having regard to the
abuses and the jobbery, with respect to them, this
is by no means surprising.
In 171 7 the original Quakers' School seems to
have expanded and instead of occasional voluntary
teachers from among the Friends the design of
having a settled Master arose.
" It is agreed upon by this meeting that Thomas
Nichols write to the young man as is purposed for
a Schoolmaster after the Purpossals as following : —
1 st. That we have a very good school house
with tables, seats, and desk for the Master, which
he may have rent free.
2nd. That we can propose six boarders at ten
pounds a year for boarding and schooling, and if
he is not willing to keep a boarding school, friends
of the towne are willing to take ye children till he
shall be qualified for the boarding of them his self.
Lastly abought twelve, weekly, Friends' children for
scholars at five shillings per quarter, besides Young
Woman that may be willing to improve their
learning."
Whether this was altogether a lucrative post as
things go now, is no concern of ours. The young
man accepted the post. His name was Nicholas
Marshall, and he was an ancestor of J. Marshall
Allbright, of Charlbury. This school flourished till
1787, when it appears to have been given up.
" 1 718. This meeting having taken into
consideration the case of the duty on malt, do agree
in judgment that the pressing of corn, either in
224 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
the cistern or couch, which is by the Government
esteemed as a fraud, should not be practiced by any
professing truth."
It is somewhat difficult to understand what was
meant by the above declaration, if it was intended
to convey that it was wrong to try to obtain all
the nutriment from the barley, then the ideas which
at that time prevailed, and those that we now
entertain, are very different.
These few entries are all that prove interesting
respecting those who may be regarded as the first
Nonconformists of Witney. The Quakers now in
Witney, as in many of the adjacent towns, are by
no means so numerous as formerly, but however,
one may dissent from the particular doctrine that they
entertained, it is impossible to read of their firm
discipline, of their sympathy with what was right
and just, without admiring the qualities which they
displayed when England was not so free as she is
now.
THE INDEPENDENTS.
It is uncertain when the Independents or
Congregationalists first formed themselves into a
body at Witney. As may be seen by referring to
the Chapter on Ecclesiastical Witney, two lecturers
at least, laboured here during the time of the
Commonwealth and there can be no question at all
that, though the re-establishment of the Monarchy
restored the Church of England to its former position
in the land, and though there were many of the
Puritans even who were not sorry to see a King on
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 225
the throne again, yet, in the matter of religion, their
ideas remained the same as before. The persecution
which attended many of the clergy in the time of
Cromwell has been referred to previously ; the time
came, however, at the Restoration, when Episcopacy
was in the ascendant, and then ensued persecution only,
perhaps, more severe than had taken place previously.
Witney dissenters, no doubt, met in secret,
fearful of the powers that were, and performed the
rites of their simple faith, but it was at their peril.
Their pastors had in many instances to hide themselves ;
they were fined and imprisoned. That the Witney
Congregationalists were oppressed during this period
there is little doubt, though no records remain, but
we shall probably not be wrong if we imagine them
suffering, as did their brethren in other parts of the
land, from such measures as the Conventicle Act,
and the Five Mile Act. By the first of these, as
we have seen, all Meetings for religious exercises in
which more than five persons besides the members
of the family were assembled, were declared seditious ;
the effect of the second was to prevent the clergy,
who had been turned out of their livings for
Nonconformity, from being seen within five miles of
any city, corporate town or borough, sending members
to Parliament. And although the latter did not affect
Witney, so far as the man who had been their own
Rector was concerned, yet it prevented those coming
to the town who would have been willing to administer
to persons who were of the " Congregational way " in
Witney. A story there is, connected with these times
226 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
of persecution, which must find a place here, though
it is only fair to say, that true as it appears to be, so
far as the main statements are concerned, yet its
authenticity with regard to all the details appears to
rest on very uncertain testimony. A certain minister,
of the name of Gunn, so the story runs, who resided
in Witney during the times of persecutions, was
obliged to go to Eynsham for some reason connected
with the battle then raging between Church and
Dissent. Here he seems to have been punished in
some way or other, though in what particular manner
is not known, but the whole affair made so great an
impression on the poor man's mind that in a weak
moment he drowned himself in that part of Emm's
dyke which is known to this day as " Gunn's Hole."
This gentleman was connected with the Congregational
body, the members of which probably assembled, in
the latter part of the 17th century in some cottage
or unfrequented place, where they thought they
would be safe from molestation.
The first Chapel in Meeting House Lane
appears to have been erected in the year 1712,
by the Rev. Samuel Mather, son of Dr. Increase
or Cotton Mather, and brother of Dr. Cotton
Mather, the latter of whom fought a good fight
when religious intolerance was at its height.
The Rev. Samuel Mather was united in marriage
to a Miss Townsend, who came of the family
that lived at Staple Hall for so long a time.
He was for some time Pastor of the Chapel. It
seems curious to us, who live in these latter days, to
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 227
hear that his remains were buried in the Church of
Witney ; and now, or till within the last fifty years,
there was a plain stone with a short inscription,
which marked the place of this interment. The
position of early Nonconformists is not thoroughly
understood now. It is true they were separated
from the Established Church on one or two points
which related mainly to Church Government, but
their forefathers had worshipped through long
generations in communion with that Church ; their
departed dead had in many instances found last
resting places in the Churches themselves, or in
the burying grounds in connection with them. So
although none were stronger than they in objecting
to those matters on which they thought the Church
was wrong, yet they could not shake off old ties
altogether, and no doubt Mr. Mather, as did many
early Nonconformist ministers, attended service
regularly in the Parish Church, and afterwards
conducted a service, perhaps more to his mind, in
the Chapel of which he was the Minister.
The attitude which was adopted in times past
by Independents is shown in the following extract
from the Gentleman's Magazine of October, 1736.
In an account given of Thomas Wright, citizen of
London, who died aged 61 : "Though an Independent
and a member of Mr. Howe's congregation, he was
a strict monthly communicant of the Church of
England."
Amongst the earliest friends of the Congregational
body in Witney, was a family of the name of
228 HISTORY OF WITNEY
Witts, several of whom lie interred in the old
Chapel, under the pew which they were in the
habit of occupying. Although there can be but
little doubt that the "interest" as it was called, was
founded by those who thought as Cromwell, and
others with him, yet it would appear to have gone,
at various times, through considerable vicissitudes.
More than once has the Chapel been closed for a
considerable period, owing to various causes, and for
some time it appears that it was allied to the
Baptist body, several of the ministers declaring
themselves to belong to the latter persuasion.
It was the Rev. Thomas Taylor who first began
to make any records of the doings of the Independents
at Witney. The book in which he kept the records
referred to, is prefaced in clearer handwriting than
is usually to be met with now. " A regular Account
of the Transactions of the Church of Christ meeting
at Witney, in the County of Oxford, in Congregational
order, from March 19th, 1806."
A very great deal of the space in this book is
occupied with matters, such as letters with regard
to the approving of new ministers, the statements
of those who gave their experiences before being
admitted into the body, and others not of much
note to anyone now, and perhaps the first
announcement which will be thought of interest, is
the following : —
"1827. May 31st. The Revd. Rowland Hill of
London, preached here by appointment, on his way
to Wotten-under-Edge, — an overflowing congregation."
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 229
It was at this period that the Witney Independents
became numerous and influential — so much was this
%e case that it was thought necessary to procure
a larger place for worship. It was fortunate for this
body that a native of Witney, to whom reference
has been made before — Mr. William Townsend — was
also of the " Congregational way." This gentleman
generously offered to build a Chapel at his own
expense, provided the members themselves would
purchase a site in a suitable position. In the spring
of 1827, premises consisting of 'two dwelling houses,
gardens, and a good orchard, surrounded with willow
trees, were purchased for ^"700. The foundation
stone of the new building was laid on the 4th of
March, 1828, by Miss Townsend, and soon a new
and handsome edifice was erected at a cost of ^* 1,000/
Soon after the period when the Chapel was
completed there is the following entry : —
"On Saturday, March 10th, 1832, died William
Townsend, Esq., who built the Chapel. His death
was sudden, but his end was peaceful. He was
buried in the vault, which he had prepared for
himself, on Tuesday, March 20th, and his funeral
sermon was preached the next evening (21st) from
Luke xii, 40, by me,
R. Taylor."
Of the strict discipline which prevailed in former
days, when the Society was in the height of its
prosperity, the following entry will afford an exampe : —
" Mr was suspended by ye Church for
one Sabbath for attending ye Theatre."
230
HISTORY OF WITNEY.
The following imperfect list of the ministers who
have presided over the spiritual wants of the
Members of this religious body, has been compiled
with some difficulty from the old Chapel Book: —
— Mather
— Blake
— Ward
N. Hellings.
1829 R. Taylor.
1834 Robert Tozer
1853 H. Perfect.
1856 T. Wallace
— Proctor 1858 David Bell, A.M.
— Blake 1864 G. Bulmer.
— Wills 1870 J. Brantom
1875 L. Jones.
— Stumphouse 1877 B. Sackett.
— Condor 1881 G. Brownjohn.
— Noble 1886 Till present time.
— Evans Rev. J. Brantom.
1806 Thomas Taylor
1813 James Higgs
THE WESLEYAN METHODISTS.
The Wesleyan Methodists in this town seem to
have come into existence at an early period in the
history of that religious body. The original
Chapel— called in its first days, "The Methodist
Meeting House," — stood on the site now occupied
by class rooms. It had been at one time a large
weaving shop, but the growth of the Wesleyans,
owing to a number of favourable circumstances, was
so rapid that it necessitated the purchase of property
adjoining, on which more commodious buildings
were erected from time to time. The first Chapel
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 23 1
was built in 1801, principally through the exertions
of Mr. Jeremiah Biggers, who is said to have been
one of the best men the town ever produced. The
present handsome edifice facing the High Street,
was erected in 1850. Witney was, of all places in
England, just such a one as Wesley esteemed it to
be his particular mission to endeavour to influence.
The Church of England in the town was in a most
deplorable condition, the Rectors for some time had
been non-resident, and while drawing the rich
revenues which then pertained to their office, they
seem to have been content with visiting the place,
if at all, only about once a year. The two Freinds
were the Rectors from 1711 to 1771, and though
both these men were eminent in various ways, they
do not appear to have proved themselves, in any
degree, suitable for occupying the post of parochial
clergymen. The Church was, at this period, asleep,
and in the worst state in its career of which
History makes mention. Little wonder that many,
having the comforts of religion almost withheld from
them by the Church of England, proceeded in
other ways to get that peace for which they
hungered. Fortunately for them a man was sent
who did more than any of the century to breathe
an earnest life into the religion of the people.
John Wesley, an earnest student, and Fellow of
Lincoln College, in the University of Oxford, not
more than twelve miles away, had become so deeply
impressed by reading two books, De Imitatione
Christi\ and Bishop Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living
23 2 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
and Holy Dying, that he gathered a faithful few in
his college rooms for worship.
Wesley and his friends were, at first, a small
obscure party ; no doubt, much laughed at, and
misunderstood at the time, but they were instruments
of immense good, and their influence became a great
power throughout the country. Among them was
a poor servitor, named Whitefield, then unknown,
but destined before long to become one of the most
famous of English preachers. These were early days,
before any thought of making all the world his parish
had been formed in Wesley's mind ; some practical
parish work had to be attempted, too, before any
religious movement on a large scale could be
commenced. The time was not far distant, however,
when Wesley became deeply impressed with the
want of Spiritual Life in the Church, and he longed
to do what he could to instill religious sentiments
into the mass of the people. When he had become
sadly conscious of the idleness, and of the dissolute
lives led by many of the Clergy, he resolved to
make it his habit to ride throughout the land,
attacking the evils which shattered the usefulness
of the Church, writing in short periods of rest and
quiet, with the powerful help of his more poetical
brother, Charles, those glorious hymns, which now,
as much as ever, are the admiration of the English
speaking race.
We do not know who, imbued with a desire for
the changes for which Wesley was working, first
began to form the Methodist body in Witney.
FROM A PHOTO
BY WILKINSON, 1885.
WESLEYAN CHAPEL. WITNEY.
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 233
What we do know is that the great religious
Reformer visited the town in 1764, and that then
there were a few who had met for prayer in a house
for some little time.
On Tuesday, January 17th., of the year named,
Wesley set out from High Wycombe to pay a
visit to Witney. It was probably not his first
visit to the place. He had been curate for some
little period at Southleigh, a village not three
miles away, and it seems only reasonable to suppose
that he came to Witney more than once during
this time. But here, we will let the Great
Missioner tell the story of his visit in 1764, m
his own words.
"Between 12 and 1 we crost Eynsham Ferry.
" The water was like a sea on both sides, I asked
"the ferry-man, "Can we ride the causeway?" He
"said, "Yes, if you keep in the middle." But this
"was the difficulty, as the whole causeway was
" covered with water to a considerable depth, and
" this in many places ran over the causeway with
" the swiftness and violence of a sluice. Once my
" mare lost both her fore feet, but she gave a spring
" and recovered the causeway, otherwise we must
" have taken a swim, for the water on either side
"was 10 or 12 feet deep. However, after one or
" two plunges more, we got through, and came safe
" to Witney. The congregation in the evening, as
" well as next day, was both large and deeply attentive.
" This is such a people as I have not seen ; so
"remarkably diligent in business, and at the same
234 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
"time of so quiet a spirit, and so calm and civil
"in their behaviour."
Exceedingly high praise from a man, who was
not only a particularly keen judge of men and things,
but who was also not in the habit, generally speaking,
of lauding anyone more than the circumstances
warranted.
"1765. January Monday 7th. In the evening
I preached at High Wycombe, and on Tuesday 8,
at Witney. The congregation here, though of so
late standing, may be a pattern to all England.
When the service was ended, no one spoke, either
in the evenings or mornings. All went silently out
of the House and yard. Nay, when I followed a
large part of them, I did not hear any open their
lips till they came to their own houses."
It will be observed that Wesley does not in
any way seek to magnify the kind of building in
which the Methodists were in the habit of meeting.
It was indeed, a house over which was the weaving
shed, to which allusion has been made before.
"1766. Mon. 27th. I rode to Wycombe. In
the evening I preached at Witney, (where a little
company stand fast together) and thrice the next
day endeavouring to lay " line upon line, precept
upon precept."
"1767. August Wednesday 26th. I rode to
Ipston Hall near Stoken Church, and preached about
10 o'clock, and in the evening at Witney. The
next evening I preached on Woodgreen, near the
town, to a large congregation, on ' Seek ye the
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 235
Lord while He may be found, cali upon him while
He is near.' Scarcely any were light or inattentive.
Surely some will bring forth fruit unto perfection."
Open air preaching was one of the great causes
of the success of Wesley's mission. This was, at
that time, almost a novel proceeding, though some
of the greatest of preachers had, before this, achieved
renown by preaching to earnest crowds on the
Green in front of St. Paul's Cathedral.
" 1768. November Monday 7th. I set out for
Oxfordshire, preached in Wycombe in the evening,
and on Tuesday and Wednesday, at Witney."
" 1769. October 18th. Thence (from Oxford)
we went into Witney, where we have now a large
and commodious House. It was well filled in the
evening (and who ever else did) I found it good
to be there, especially at the meeting of the Society.
The Spirit of Glory and of Christ, was among them.
" I had designed to spend another day here.
But two of our friends, who were come on purpose
from Broad-Marston, importuned me to go together.
So I set out with them on Thursday, and came to
Broad-Marston in the afternoon.
"1770. October Monday 15th. I set out for
Oxfordshire."
"1770 October Tuesday 16th. I preached at
Witney, in the new House, and again on Thursday
morning. After service many crowded with me into
the House. I spent some time with them in prayer ;
it was a happy opportunity, and many prayed God
for the consolation they received."
236 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
"1771. October Tuesday 15th. I went on to
Witney. I am surprised at the plainness and
artlessness of this people. Who would imagine that
they lived within 10, yea or 50 miles of Oxford ? "
"Wednesday 16th. I preached at South Lye.
Here it was that I preached my first sermon, six
and forty years ago. (1725). One man was in my
present audience who heard it. Most of the rest
are gone to their long home. After preaching at
Witney, in the evening, I met the believers apart,
and was greatly refreshed among them. So simple
a people I scarce ever saw. They did " open the
window in their breast ;" and it was easy to discern
that God was there, filling them " with peace and
joy in believing."
" 1772. October Monday 19th. I began my
tour into Oxfordshire."
" Tuesday 20th. In the evening I preached at
Witney, to a crowded congregation, and at present
one of the livliest in the kingdom ; afterwards I
met the Society much alive to God, and growing
both in grace and number."
"Wednesday 21st. I continued freely with some
of the most amiable Christians I know. In the
morning I met the select society, one and twenty
in number, all (it seemed) or all but one, rejoicing
in the pure love of God. It is no wonder if the
influence of these should extend to the whole
society, or even the whole town."
" Thursday 22nd. I found another society at High
Wycombe, almost as earnest as that of Witney."
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 237
'•Thursday 15th. I went on to Witney, and
had the satisfaction to find that the work of God
was still increasing. In the evening I preached at
the East end of the town, to a numerous and
attentive congregation. In the morning I met the
select society, full of faith and love ; although the
greater part of them are young, some little more
than children. At six I preached at the West End
of the town, near Miss Bolton's door. After preaching
I had a pleasant ride to Wheatly, and then to
London."
"Wednesday 19th. I rode to Witney, and
found more life than I expected, both in the
congregation, and in the society."
"Sunday 15th. About 8 I preached at Witney.
I admired the seriousness and decency of the
congregation at Church."
" I preached at 5, on ' Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself,' a word that is sufficient to
convince all mankind of sin. In meeting the select
society, I was much comforted to find so few of
them losing ground, and far the greater part still
witnessing that ' The Blood of Christ cleanseth
from all sin.' "
It would appear from the above extract that
Wesley, on this occasion, attended service at St.
Mary's Church. Wesley also paid a visit to Witney
in February 1777.
"July 2nd. 1777. In the afternoon I went to
Witney, and the evening being fair and mild, preached
on Woodgreen, to a far larger congregation than
238 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
the House could have contained. I spent the rest
of the evening with a few of the excellent ones of
the earth. I was ready to say " It is good for
me to be here." " No." " Go thou and preach
the Gospel."
Wesley also paid a flying visit to Witney in
September of the same year.
"Thursday, 15th. I preached at Witney. Since
Nancy B. has been detained here the Work of God
has greatly revived. Mysterious Providence ! That
one capable of being so useful should be thus shut
up in a corner ! "
Nancy B., mentioned above, was a Miss Bolton,
who afterwards became Mrs. Conybeare.
" 1779. August 9th. In the evening I preached
at Oxford ; the next at Witney."
" 1782. Oct. Wednesday 16th. I preached
at Witney, one of the liveliest places in the Circuit,
where I always find my own soul refreshed."
"July, 1783. Wednesday 16th. I went on to
" Witney. There were uncommon thunder and
" lightning here last Thursday, but nothing to that
" which were here on Friday night. About ten the
" storm was just over the town ; and both the bursts
" of thunder and lightning, or rather the sheets of
" flame, were without intermission. Those that were
" asleep in the town were awaked, and many thought
" that the day of judgment was come. Men, women,
" and children nocked out of their houses and kneeled
" down together in the streets. With the flame the
" Grace of God came down also in a manner never
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 239
" known before ; and as the impression was general,
" so it was lasting ; it did not pass away with .the
" storm, but the spirit of seriousness, with that of
" grace and supplication, continued. A prayer
" meeting, being appointed on Saturday evening, the
" people flocked together, so that the preaching house
" was more than filled ; and many were constrained
" to stand about the doors and windows. On Sunday
" morning, before the usual time for service, the
" Church was quite filled. Such a sight was never
" seen in that Church before. The Rector himself
" was greatly moved, and delivered a pressing close
" sermon with uncommon earnestness."
" When I came on Wednesday, the same
seriousness remained on the generality of the people.
I preached in the evening at Wood Green, where a
multitude nocked together, on the Son of Man
coming in His Glory. The word fell heavy upon
them, and many of their hearts were as melting wax."
"Thursday, 17th. At five they were still so
eager to hear, that the preaching house would not
even contain the congregation. After preaching,
four-and-thirty persons desired admission into the
Society ; everyone of whom was (for the present, at
least) under very serious impressions, and most of
them, there is a reason to hope, will bring forth
fruit with patience."
With reference to the storm which occurred
before Wesley arrived at Witney, which he mentions,
the following letter to Wesley, from Richard Rodda,
is of interest : —
24O HISTORY OF WITNEY.
"On the 29th of last June (1783) I preached on
Wood Green, at the end of Witney, in Oxfordshire.
While I was preaching, something uncommon
impelled me to say, ' My dear friends, take notice of
what I am going to say : — before this day month,
you will hear and see something very uncommon,'
but I knew not why I said so. On Wednesday, the
2nd July, it began to thunder and lighten in a very
dreadful manner. The people cried out that I had
prophesied the world was to be at an end, and they
thought it was now fulfilling. Two persons were
struck dead by the lightning. Numbers had their
sins set in order before them ; saw the necessity
of a Saviour ; and some groaned after Him."
" On the 10th, the Lord thundered from Heaven
and sent forth His lightnings a second time. On
the nth it was more dreadful than it had been
before. Now, indeed, the most stubborn heart
trembled and bowed before the Lord. The numbers
that flocked both to the Church and Meeting were
incredible, and there was such an awakening among
them as the oldest man living could not remember,
in consequence whereof the next time I came there I
added fifty new members to our Society."
Mr. Rodda was one of those travelling preachers
who occupied so important a part in Wesley's
scheme for the conversion of England. Not long
ago, there were those living who had conversed with
many that were eye witnesses of the awful visitation,
described above, and not one of them alluded
to it, but with a kind of shudder. Three thousand
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 24 1
people were present at the preaching of this sermon,
and the solemn silence and attention of the vast
multitude created as great an impression as the storm
itself. A great many of those who joined Mr. Wesley's
Society at this time were called, in consequence,
" The Thunder and Lightning Methodists."
Wesley, in a letter to Miss Ritchie, whom he
addresses " My Dear Betsey," says, " I do not
remember any storm which travelled so far as that
of the 10th. It has been in almost all parts of
England, but especially at Witney, near Oxford.
The next night they had a far greater, which seemed
to cover the whole town for four hours, with almost
one uninterrupted blaze ; and it has made such an
impression on high and low, rich and poor, as had
not been known in the memory of man."
A gentleman of Gloucester, who was at Witney
when the storm fell there, describes the scene as
the most dismal he ever beheld. Not only were a
man and woman killed by the lightning, but several
people, hay-making in the fields near the town, were
struck senseless ; by bleeding, and other applications,
they were recovered.
The year 1783 was a dreadful one throughout
the world, so far as atmospherical phenomena were
concerned. Cowper in his house at Olney was
writing " The Task," and noting the extraordinary
climatic conditions in the following lines : —
" Is it a time to wrangle when the props
And pillars of our planet seem to fail ;
And nature with a dim and sickly eye
To wait the close of all ? "
242 HISTORY OF WITNEY
A dry fog appeared, inexplicable though harmless.
The misty veil continued nearly a month, and the
sun appeared red through it. Cowper says, u The
sun continues to rise and set without his rays, and
hardly shines at noon, even in a cloudless sky, and
the moon appears a dull red." Butcher's meat could
hardly be kept a single day, and wasps came in
myriads. In August, a brilliant meteor appeared,
travelling through space with immense velocity.
And yet, with all these unusual climatic conditions,
the fog did not affect vegetation in the least, and
there was a good harvest.
To return to Wesley's Journal : —
"Septr. Wed., 15th. I came to Witney. The
flame, which was kindled here by that providential
storm of thunder and lightning, is not extinguished ;
but has continued ever since, with no discernible
intermission. The preaching-house is still too small
for the congregation."
" 1784. Oct., Thursday, 21st. I preached at
Witney on ' As thou hast believed, so be it done
unto thee.' We had a large congregation at five
in the morning ; at twelve I met the children, and
was pleased to find that the impression which was
made on them by the storm last year is not yet worn
out, and the whole Society — still double to what it
was — appears to be much in earnest."
" After preaching in the evening I met the
select society, and found many of them who for
several years have lost nothing of what they had
received, but do still love God with all their heart,
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 243
and in consequence rejoice evermore, pray without
ceasing, and in everything give thanks."
" 1785. October, Monday ioth. I preached in
the evening at Witney, where the power of God
used to be eminently present. In all this circuit
the work of God appears both to widen and to
deepen."
"1787. October, Monday 15th. I began a little
tour through Oxfordshire."
"Thursday 16th. The house at Witney would
nothing near contain the people in the evening.
It was well filled at 5 on Wednesday morning. I
dearly love this people, they are so simple of heart
and so much alive to God. After dinner we
returned to Oxford."
" 1788. November, Tuesday 14th. I preached
at Witney, which I generally find a very comfortable
place. I think much of the impression which was
made on the people here at the time of the great
storm remains still."
"1789. November, Tuesday 27th. I went to
Witney. Here I found a lively people, many of
whom were hungering and thirsting after righteousness.
Of what use to a whole community may one person
be, even a woman, (Mrs. Conybeare is here again
referred to) that is full of faith and love ! The
Lord strengthen thy heart, and fully prepare thee
for every good word and work."
While, as I have stated, it is quite certain that
John Wesley had no intention to separate from the
Church, it is not less true that after his death,
244 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
his followers were obliged, by the unwise action of
the authorities of the Church, to form a separate
Society. Indeed, there is, perhaps, no more unwise
incident, which can be recorded in the History of
the English Church, than the particular action which
was taken with regard to the Wesley an body.
The handsome and commodious block of buildings,
standing in the High Street, has been considerably
altered and enlarged during the last 10 years, some
^"7,000 having been spent in this way, and in
clearing a debt that had remained on the premises
for some years. In 1884 the handsome block of
School buildings was erected, the architect being Mr.
Edward Early Hollis, of London, who unfortunately
did not live to see the completion of his work.
In 1889 the Chapel was much improved, being
re-seated throughout with pitch-pine, and the roof
also lined with the same wood. The organ was
at the same time enlarged3 and rebuilt by Mr.
Martin, of Oxford, and the Organ Chamber and
choir seats lowered, and brought further out into
the Chapel. And then, in 1893, the two houses
that partly hid the buildings from view were pulled
down, a caretaker's cottage erected on the South
side of the property, and a handsome railing of
100 feet in length, put along the frontage.
The premises comprise, in addition to the
Chapel, a vestry, four class rooms, and a commodious
committee room, for the use of all purposes connected
with the Church. Then there are extensive Day
School premises, consisting of a large main room,
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 245
three class rooms, with galleries in each, an infant
room, with class room attached, and a Master's
room. Over all these is the Sunday School rooms,
comprising a large and fine hall, measuring 62 feet
6 inches by 42 feet 6 inches, and three separate
class rooms. The whole block, containing entirely
distinct rooms for Church purposes, Sunday School
work, and for Day School work, is a credit to the
Wesleyan Church of Witney, and an ornament to
the town.
METHODIST PREACHERS WHO HAVE BEEN STATIONED
IN - THE WITNEY CIRCUIT.
Witney, on the first introduction of Methodism
here, was connected with what was called the
Oxfordshire Circuit. At the Conference of 1795,
Newbury Circuit was formed, and Witney was
associated with that circuit, but eight years after, in
1803, Witney was made into a separate circuit.
Again in 1813, Chipping Norton circuit was formed
out of Witney. Below we give a list of the
ministers stationed here, from the time of its being
made a distinct circuit, in the year 1803 : —
1803. Joseph Robbins, Robert Melson.
1804. Joseph Robbins, Thomas Edman.
1805. Thomas Blanshard, Joseph Wilson.
1806. Thomas Blanshard, Josiah Walker.
1807. Robert Wheeler, Lewis Andrews.
1808. Robert Wheeler, .Frederick Calder.
1809. Caleb Simmons, John Bedford.
1 810. Caleb Simmons, One to be sent.
1811. Joshua Fielden, William Toogood.
246 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
1 8 12. James Sydserff, William Mowat.
1813-1814. James Bate.
181 5. John Sydserff, William Langridge.
1 81 6. John Sydserff, Arthur Jewett.
1 81 7. Joseph Gostick, John Jackson.
1 81 8. Joseph Gostick, Isaac Phenix.
181 9. Isaac Phenix, Samuel Trueman.
1820. David Deakin, Thomas Dodd.
1821. Tohn Squarebridge, John W. Button.
1822. John Squarebridge, John Langstone.
1823. Owen Rees, Thomas Cocking.
1824. Owen Rees, Jonathan J. Bates.
1825. Corbett Cooke, William Hunt.
1826. Corbett Cooke, John Henley.
1827. Corbett Cooke, John Henley, John T. Barr.
1828. Joseph Sanders, James Cooke, James
Vowles.
1829 Joseph Sanders, Francis Burgess, William
Wilson.
1830. Joseph Sanders, John Langstone, Edward
Hanscombe.
1831-1832. Wm. Brocklehurst, Jas. Loutit.
1833. Benjamin Andrews, Joseph Wilson.
1834. Benjamin Andrews, Thomas Robinson.
1835-1836. John Geden, Thomas Robinson.
1837. John Geden, Joseph Hollis.
1 838- 1 839. Joseph Hollis, William Burnett.
1 840- 1 841. John Roberts, Samuel H. Wardley.
1842. James Allen (a), Samuel H. Wardley.
1843. James Allen (a), John Griffith.
1844. William Sharpe, John Griffith.
1845. William Sharpe, John Anderson.
NONCONFORMITY AND WITNEY. 247
1846. William Sharpe, John D. Julian.
1 847- 1 848. Charles Westlake, John D. Julian.
1849. Charles Westlake, John Dowty.
1850-1851. Peter C. Horton, John Dowty.
1852. Peter C. Horton, Joseph Portrey.
1853. James Mayer, Joseph Portrey.
1854-1855. James Mayer, George Kevern.
1856. Hugh Jones (a), George Kevern.
1857. Hugh Jones, (a), Christopher Ridler.
1858. Robert Sherwell, Christopher Ridler.
1 859-1 860. Robert Sherwell, John Bond.
1861-1862. Benjamin John, Samuel M'Aulay.
1 863-1 865. Richard Ray, Richard Hardy.
1 866- 1 868. John Knowles, Samuel Naish.
1869-1871. William Brailey, Caleb Foster.
1872-1873. Henry Hine, James P. Dunn.
1874. Henry Hine, Thomas Nicholson.
1875-1876. Richard Allen (b), Thomas Nicholson.
1877. Richard Allen (b), H. Owen Rattenbury.
1 878-1 879. Jabez Ingham, H. Owen Rattenbury.
1880. Jabez Ingham, Thomas Evans.
1 88 1 -1882. Alexander F. Fogwell, Thomas Evans.
1883. Alexander F. Fogwell, William H. Walker
1884-1885. William H. Walker, Edward R.
Gibbens.
1886. Wm. G. Dicken, Edward Gibbens.
1887-1888. Wm. G. Dicken, Edmund Potts.
1889. J. S. Bellman, Edmund Potts.
1890-189 1. J. S. Bellman, W. H. Price.
1892. W. H. Price, W. Brown.
1 893- 1 894. T. Hackett, W. Brown.
248 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Other places of Worship in the town are : —
The Primitive Methodist Chapel, in Corn Street ;
this was built in 1870, and stands in front of the old
Chapel, built in 1843, and now used as a schoolroom.
The Rev. T. Phelps is the present minister. The
Brethren have a room at the Corn Exchange, where
they conduct public worship ; and then there is a
local corps of the Salvation Army, with a Barracks
at West End.
JsXK^
CHAPTER- VIII.
Mttnep in times of Mar anti ft umult*
"•HE various conflicts, which disturbed the country
so much before the 15th century, from time to
time, do not appear to have occasioned Witney or
the neighbourhood very much anxiety. Possibly,
when Matilda was besieged in Oxford, by Stephen,
Witney, from being so near, might see something of
the strife then proceeding, though this is pure
conjecture.
Various social changes, of a more or less
important nature, were, in the latter part of the
1 6th century, always going on. The people of
England, from a state of comparative prosperity
which prevailed from the Peasants' Revolution in
1 38 1, to the period mentioned, had fallen into as
deplorable a condition as can be imagined. There
were many causes which led to this unhappy result.
First in order must be mentioned the ruinous
250 History ok witneY.
extravagance of Henry VIII. Not only did a good
deal of the money, which he ground from his
oppressed people, go to subsidise other monarchs on
the continent, but his own personal expenses in
connection with his household establishments, were
simply enormous. The money which he received on
account of the dissolution of the monasteries was
soon wasted — gambled away by the King and his
satellites ; and, although little open discontent was
manifest, yet there can be no doubt that the
dissolution of the monasteries was attended with the
direst results to the poor, especially, throughout the
length and breadth of the land. Those who had
been tenants of monastic property had found the
monks indulgent landlords. Their lands had been
held upon what was known as the " Stock and Land
Lease System," but when the monastic system was
broken up the poorer tenants were ruined, and the
foundations of English pauperism unfortunately laid.
Amongst many of the evil practices pursued by this
King was the issuing of base coin. The effect of this
wicked, selfish act was not felt in his time, but later
on, the English labourer had cause to be bitterly
aware of it. The prices of everything rose, but, as
is always the case, wages did not rise in anything
like equal proportion ) and soon, as Sir Thomas More
had remarked at an earlier period, " poor wretches —
men, women, husbands, orphans, parents with litttle
children — all these emigrate from their native fields
without knowing where to go." Such a grave state
of things which existed throughout the land could
WITNEY IN TIMES OF WAR AND TUMULT. 2$ I
not fail to touch Witney. At this time the peasantry
throughout the whole of England were in a state
of the fiercest discontent. Certain it is that towards
the end of the reign of Henry VIII the people in
such places as Witney, dependant in a great measure
on agriculture, were, through the causes before
mentioned, in a state bordering on despair. But
perhaps the greatest cause of discontent, that which
affected in a great measure the welfare of the people,
in such places as Witney, was due to the confiscation
of the Gild Lands. This had been commenced by
Henry VIII, but it was not finally carried out till the
reign of his son, Edward VI, by the Duke of Somerset.
These gilds were of two kinds — religious and secular.
Those of the former kind, which existed at Witney,
may be seen by referring to the Survey, which took
place in the reign of Edward VI ; of the latter, so
far as Witney is concerned, nothing is known, though
it is almost impossible to believe that one, at least,
did not exist in a place which had been famous for
the manufacture of cloth during some centuries.
Gilds, both religious and secular, held lands which
had been acquired either by the bequests of the
members, or else by purchase from the gild funds.
The secular gilds were accustomed to use the
revenue of these lands for purposes such as lending
money without usury, to poor people, apprenticing
poor children, and relieving destitute person-. It
will thus be perceived that these gilds fulfilled, in
some measure, the functions of the modern Benefit
Societies. Now it is certain that the Religious Gilds
252 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
had been associated with superstitious uses, and some
kind of reformation was urgently required with
regard to them, though whether the abuses connected
with them was an adequate ground for using their
revenues entirely for secular purposes, may be open
to very grave doubt. No one will be found who
will assert that there was herein a sufficient reason,
or indeed any reason at all, for suppressing the Craft
Gilds, and yet this was actually done, without
making the faintest distinction between Religious
Gilds and Craft Gilds. Edward VI, by his adviser
Protector Somerset suppressed both, because of the
superstitions which existed in the former. This
suppression was a terrible blow to the labourer
throughout the land ; for it must be remembered
that the Gilds had been a help against pauperism,
they had steadied the price of labour, in fact, they
had in some measure, though in a much more excellent
manner, done the work of our modern Trades' Unions.
Another cause of discontent, towards the end
of the 1 6th century, was the number of enclosures
continually being made. These, it is true, had
been going on for centuries, though, perhaps,
they were larger towards the end of the 16th
century than they were formerly. It is almost
certain that Witney and its neighbourhood suffered
more severely from these encroachments on the land
than did many parts of England, for it must be
remembered that it was extensive sheep-farming
which led to the great enclosures of the 16th century.
Witney and its neighbourhood were, from very early
WITNEY IN TIMES OF WAR AND TUMULT. 253
times, noted for the production of a very fine kind
of wool ; and it is only reasonable to suppose, _ on
this account, that more enclosures went on at Witney
and the neighbourhood than in most other places. Of
course, our trade in wool, in consequence of these
enclosures, progressed, but the effect on the poor was
disastrous in the extreme ; instead of land being required
for arable husbandry, it was laid down to grass, which
required comparatively little labour. Such were
some of the causes which led to permanent pauperism
in England, and which existed at its worst towards
the end of the 16th century. Although the indigence
of the English people had become established, yet no
system of Poor Law Relief was instituted till the year
1 601, and before this period distress of a grievous kind
had existed everywhere. Continual trivial disorders
were breaking out occasionally throughout the land,
and the causes which led to the rising of the
Oxfordshire people were those which have been
mentioned.
The following are extracts from the Calendars
of State Papers with reference to this matter : —
1595-97.
RISING OF PEOPLE IN OXFORDSHIRE.
"Dec. 14th. Vincent Rankell, of Witney. Barth
Steere tried to induce him to join them, saying they
were no base fellows, but husbandmen, and wished
him to persuade others to join, Dec. 4th, 1596."
" John Steere of Witney was told of the rising
by his brother Barth, who said there would be 200
2 54 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
or 300 people, not needy, from Woodstock, Bladon,
Kirtleton, &c, and they would go from one rich
man's house to another, and take horses, arms, and
victuals. Tried to persuade against such unlawful
courses, but he said he would not always live like
a slave."
" James Bradshaw, the miller's son of Hampton
also asked him to join, December 5th., 1596."
" 1 595-1 597- December 2nd., 1596.
Exam, of Thomas Home, carpenter, of Hampton.
Gay, Roger Symond's man. Barth Steere spoke of
merry times shortly, for good fellows were abroad,
who would have both corn and cattle. About St.
Hugh's day, saw some 10 persons with pikes and
swords on Enslow Hill, went thither once with
Steere and others, expecting to meet men from
Witney, and go to Mr. Powers, of Blechington, for
corn and cattle, Steere had a pike staff and hanger,
others short swords and daggers, December 17th.,
1596."
"I595-I597- January 7th., 1597."
" Exam, of James Bradshaw Miller.
Bartholomew Steere first talked to him about a
rising at Hampton-Poyle, in the presence of John
Steere, his father, and John, his brother, when the
latter said there were 100 in Witney, who would
go with them to throw down enclosuresi &c. Barth
Steere said it would never be well until the gentry
were knocked down."
" Steere also said there were a 100 men who
would come out of Witney, and there was a mason
WITNEY IN TIMES OF WAR AND TUMULT. 255
who could make balls of wild-fire, and had a sling
to fling the same, whereby he could fire houses .as
occasion should serve."
These extracts show the social discontent rife
in the county at the close of Elizabeth's reign.
WITNEY AND THE CIVIL WAR.
Although Witney did not take a very active
part in the Civil War, there are very many
circumstances which point to the fact that it was
only due to a combination of fortuitous events that
the place did not supply the battle ground for
some of those fierce and sanguinary struggles, which
during this War, were frequently taking place in
the neighbourhood of Oxford. For it was to the
latter place that King Charles, beaten in many
battles, retired, conscious of the deep loyalty of the
University town. All round Oxford, therefore, the
straggle raged, and we may be sure that trivial
engagements of one kind and another were of frequent
occurrence at Witney, and indeed at all places in
the neighbourhood. Such entries as the following
extracted from the Register of Burials in Witney
Church, prove this to have been the case.
"April, 1643. Captain Sparks the fifth day;
Thomas Grandger, a souldier, the 13th day ;
Isabell Wynn, a souldier's wife the 21st day."
" October, 1643. A souldier the first day ;
A souldier the same day ;
A souldier the fifth day."
"February, 1644. A souldier ye 28th day;
256 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
November, 1644. A souldier the 2nd day."
The above entries undoubtedly show that during
the progress of the Civil War, Witney took some
share in the conflict ; it is, in fact, quite certain
that the townspeople in those days were well
accustomed to the sight of Royalist and Parliamentary
soldiers, and it is also safe to conjecture that in
the town, itself, there were those who were ready
to throw their caps in the air, and shout for joy
when the army of King Charles passed through the
town, and those too, who regarded the close
cropped soldiers of the Parliament as saviours of
the country. It is impossible to believe otherwise
when it is remembered that there were, probably,
even in early Puritanic times at Witney, a number
who were not in sympathy with the Church of
England, which meant that they were afterwards,
or those, who thought like them, on the side
of the Roundheads. That there were those who
sided with the ill-fated House of Stuart, admits of
no doubt. The following from a volume of undated
Calendar State Papers, gives a list of persons who
lent money to Charles I : —
£ s. d.
"Five of Witney and " Burd," (Burford ?) 80 10 o.
Five of Bampton 163 14 o.
Eleven of Witney and Lee 170 3 4."
The following letter from Edward Dalton, Esq.,
dated March 23rd, 1843, to the Rev. Thomas
Symons, of Eynsham, is of interest in connection
with this : —
WITNEY IN TIMES OF WAR AND TUMULT. 257
" My family were resident freeholders at Curbridge,
in the Parish of Witney, from before 1570 to 1644,
when they followed the declining fortunes of King
Charles, and suffered grievously at Newbury, during
the above period. Their names frequently occur
in the Parish Registers and Church Books, as
Churchwardens, Way-Wardens, &c. In Willis's Mitred
abbeys vol. ii. p. 188, is this entry, "A pension, paid
to William Dalton, chantry priest of Witney, Oxford."
The extract from the preamble to my pedigree shews
three descents James was son of Walter Dalton, of
Curbridge Court, eldest son of that Walter Dalton, who
was grievously wounded in the head, fighting under
the royal banner at Newbury battle, where the chief of
his house (Col. Thos. Dalton, who raised the Dalton
regiment of norse for King Charles, as recorded in
England's Bloody Tribunal) was mortally wounded,
and died in Marlborough. There were slain also,
in that fight, Charles Marmaduke, Edward and
William Dalton, of this family. I have also hoped
to find in some private or public collection, some
memorial of my family, previous to their migrating
from Oxfordshire. The family tradition is that the
money received for the sale of Curbridge, was
given into His Majesty's own hands by Walter
Dalton, in a long leathern purse, on the top of
the stairs at Christ Church, Oxford ; the land
bought in Wales, with the residue, still continues
in the family. They were, at the time of the
Civil Wars, for several generations, intimately connected
with the Ashburhams."
258 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
In time, even Oxford became an unsafe
asylum for the unfortunate Charles. The Earl of
Essex and Sir William Waller were watching the
city, and endeavouring to accomplish the surrender
of the unhappy monarch. Charles therefore resolved
to seek a safer refuge ; but to escape was a
matter of considerable difficulty, for nearly the whole
country around was held by the armies of the
Parliament. It is true that Charles's forces occupied
some of the towns and villages in the neighbourhood,
as the following extract from a copy of an account
of the " Earl of Essex's March from St. Albans to
Oxford," shows : —
"Friday, November 1st. His Majesty, Prince
Charles, and King's troop from Cirencester to Oxford
that night thirty-two miles. By the way the King
met the messenger from General Gerrard, that his
forces, consisting of 3,000, are at hand. At this time
our army was quartered at Woodstock, Witney,
Burford, &c."
But when Charles, on the 3rd. June, determined
to escape from the besiegers, it was, notwithstanding
the presence of these troops, a matter of great
difficulty. But here we will let the great historian,
Clarendon, tell the story.
"All things being in order, on Monday the 3rd
of June, about nine of the clock at night, the
King, with the prince, and those lords and others,
who were appointed to attend him, and many
others of quality who were not appointed, and only
thought themselves less secure if they should stay
WITNEY IN TIMES OF WAR AND TUMULT. 259
behind, marched out of the North Port, attended
by his own troop, to the place where the horse
and commanded foot waited to receive them, and
from thence, without any halt, marched between the
two armies, and by daybreak were at Handborough,
some miles beyond all their quarters. But the
King rested not till the afternoon, when he found
himself at Burford, aud there concluded he was in
no danger to be overtaken by any army that was
to follow with baggage, and a train of artillery, so
that he was content to refresh his men there, and
supped himself, yet was not without apprehension
that he might be followed by a body of the
enemy's horse, and therefore about nine of the
clock he continued his march from Burford over
the Cotswolds, and by mid-night reached Bourton-
on-the-Water, where he gave himself, and his weary
troops more rest and refreshment."
The King, on this occasion, did not pass actually
through the town, but took the road through
Handborough, a little to the North of Witney.
We have certain testimony of this from the following
extract from the diary of Henry Symonds, who was
in the troop of horse (part of the Royal army),
commanded by Lord Bernard Stuart, younger son of
the Duke of Lennox. ( Harleian M.S. S.J
" 1644, June 2nd. At one of the clock in the
afternoon the King, accompanied with his troop &c,
went to Woodstock and killed two bucks, and
supped there. News came at ten o'clock at night
that Waller was at Newbridge with all his forces,
260 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
consisting of ten thousand, and that a hundred and
fifty horse were on the Oxfordshire side come over."
" We marched toward Oxford, and lay in the
field by the way. Our soldiers hung lighted matches
at the Mill and bridge, near Islip, to cheate Essex
and so fairely left the place, the enemy shooting
many times that night at the watches in vayne.
We came safe to Oxford that Monday morning,
brought all the King's army safe to Oxford, and
that day many of our foot and horse went towards
Abington with our cannon and carriages, which
made Waller haste from Newbridge to Abington.
At nine o'clock that night the King with all his
army lay in the field at Wolvercote, marched without
a cannon between Newbridge and Woodstock, and
left Witney on the left-hand, so to Burford, a long
street, and one Church, where the King's troope
refreshed themselves at Mr. William Lenthall's house
in that town, and that night marched to Bourton-
super-aqua."
Waller had early intimation of His Majesty's
movements, and immediately resolved to follow him,
but although he overtook many of the stragglers
and others, who had succumbed to the influence of
Bacchus, he was a little too late to come up with
the main army. At a Council held at Burford,
however, it was resolved that Waller should follow
the King wherever he should go, and the former
not unnaturally thinking that Charles's design was
to escape to the North, immediately put himself
into a position to prevent this. The King becoming
WITNEY IN TIMES OF WAR AND TUMULT. 26 1
aware of Waller's intention, and being also conscious
of the latter's power to prevent him from getting
to the North, immediately resolved to return to
Oxford, and rejoin his army.
Clarendon says : —
" Now the King sent Colonel Fielding, and lest
he should miscarry, two or three other messengers
to the Lords of the Council, at Oxford, to let them
know of his happy return, and that he meant to
quarter that night at Burford, and the next at
Witney, where he did expect that all his foot with
their colours and cannon would meet him, which
with unspeakable joy they did."
The before mentioned Henry Symonds also
says : —
"Tuesday, after His Majesty had been at Church,
and heard the sermon, and dyned, he marched that
night to Witney — five miles ; two miles short of
Witney on the left hand as we came from Burford,
stands Minster Lovell, an ancient howse of the
Lord Lovell, worth seeing."
CHARLES I. AT WITNEY.
" At Witney, Charles stayed three days and
nights at the White Hart Inn, from Tuesday 18th June
to Thursday night, including June 20th (Sir E.
Walker's Carolznum in Gutch Collectanea Curiosa
Vol. ii. p. 433).
Very pleasant would it be, if we could discover
how the unfortunate Monarch spent the three days
in this town. Did he walk about looking with
262 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
those large mournful eyes, sueh as we see in his
portrait by Vandyke, at the evidences of the
prosperity, which seems to have prevailed in the
town at this time ? Did he attend Church as was
his custom ? These things we do not know, but
we can well imagine the painful thoughts connected
with his dying cause, which must at this time have
been continually present to his mind. The three
days passed away, and for the last time the poor
King turned his back on Witney, and not many
years after expiated his faults, or, as some would
say, won his martyr's crown on the scaffold.
But, although the King had left Witney for
ever, the townspeople had not seen the last evidences
of the strife, as the following extracts from the
diary of Sir W. Dugdale show : —
" 1644. July 17th. Waller marched to Woodstock."
" 1644. July 19th. Waller marched from Woodstock
to Witney."
Another personage intimately connected with
events, then going on, also visited the town.
Restless Rupert, nephew of the King, and the
dashing leader of the Royalist Cavalry, was always
rushing out of Oxford, to plunder, pillage, and
steal ; it was on one of these raids, only two years
before, that he fell on the Parliamentary leader-
John Hampden — at Chalgrove Field, and in the
skirmish which followed, defeated the patriot, and
caused his death. Many were the excursions of a
like nature, we may be sure, which Rupert undertook
between Oxford and Cirence-ster.
WITNEY IN TIMES OF WAR AND TUMULT. 263
The latter place eventually fell into the hands
of the Royalists, and three hundred of the townspeople,
prostrating themselves at the feet of Prince Rupert,
be^o-ed for mercy. The writer of the Bibliothcca
Gloucestrensis says, however, the Royalists " stripped
many of the prisoners, most of them of their inmost
garments. They were all turned that night into
the Church, and though many of them were wounded
and weary, yet their friends were not suffered to
bi ing ' them a cup of water into the Church that
night, but what they thrust in at the back side of
the Church, and the like cruelty, I hear, was
showed unto them, when they lay in Witney Church,
in their passage to Oxford. They tied all the
prisoners, gentlemen, ministers, and all, in ropes, and
made them all go a foote through the dirt in the
streets, on the way to Oxford, which, in regard of
the many horses, was up to their knees some
times."
There is no record of this desecration of Witney
Church in the Churchwardens' Account Book, but
this is scarcely surprising, for it was by no means
an uncommon event for the soldiers of both sides,
during the Civil War, to use the Churches as prisons,
and the occurrence was not unusual enough, in all
probability, to demand particular notice.
The following, too, from Sir W. Dugdale's
Diary, shows that although the King had gone from
Oxford, the neighbourhood was not free from strife : —
"1646. March 18th. The Earl of Lindsay went
from Oxford to Winchester House. The same day
264 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
2,000 of the rebels came into Woodstock from
Witney, commanded by Colonel Rainsborough."
The Civil War in process of time came to an
end, and Witney, like other places, settled down to
a period of rest and quiet. It is probable, though,
that the town was startled on the evening of
Thursday, July 17th, 1649, by the sight of a band
of soldiers, commanded by a very remarkable
Englishman, who passed swiftly through the place.
For the mighty Oliver, fresh from his victory over
the Levellers at Burford, must have gone through
Witney on his way to Oxford to stay some days
with the Warden of All Souls' College. Few of the
townsmen, who saw this small army and its
commander — even if they were aware who the latter
was — thought that for years the destinies of England
would be committed to his keeping ; and that he
would make this country feared and respected
throughout Europe.
Here, too, in 1684, came that notorious candidate
for infamy — Captain Dangerfield — the fabricator of
a " Popish Plot." This man states in his Diary,
published in 1685 under the title of his " Memoires,"
that he dined at the " Salutation Inn," at Witney,
on the 1 2th of December, 1684, and spent there
3/6. Whether this villain's visit had any connection
with plots similar to that one which he had previously
concocted, and which has ever since been known
as " The Meal Tub Plot," from the fact that
he stated that incriminating papers would be
found in a meal tub, there arc no means of
ascertaining.
WITNEY IN TIMES OF WAR AND TUMULT. 265
JACOBITE SPIRIT AT WITNEY.
We have evidence, too, that later on the Jacobite
spirit was strong at Witney. Who fostered the
rebellious feeling in this part of the country is not
known, though it is certain that some of the members
of the Harcourt family were amongst those who were
in the habit of passing their glasses over the finger
bowls when the sovereign was toasted, signifying
that the King, to whose health they were drinking,
was over the water. Over one of the entrances to
the Harcourt Mortuary Chapel, at Stanton Harcourt,
the motto, " Le bon temps viendra," tells us that
it exercised such influence upon some of the members
of this ancient family that the motto, referring to the
"good time" when "the King should enjoy his own
again " found a place, for a period, under the
Harcourt crest.
"1716. March 23rd. The persons lately taken
into custody by the Messengers and brought from
Witney, in Oxfordshire, for enlisting men for the
Pretender in order to make an insurrection in that
county, (against whom there seemed so positive a
proof, that it was supposed an indictment of nothing
less than high treason could be found against them),
have been discharged. It appears to the Government
to be only an inveterate malice to swear away their
neighbour's lives."
The following affidavit throws some light upon
the proceedings disclosed in the above quotation : —
"Benjamin Walton, of Witney, in the County
" of Oxford, carpenter, voluntarily maketh oath, that
266 HISTORY OF WITNEY
" in the month of February last, Thomas Soames, a
" servant of Sir Francis Blake, sent for the deponent
" to his master's house and asked him if he knew
'' anything against Thomas Carter, who was lately this
" deponent's master. This deponent told him, if he
" did, he dare not speak of it, because he owed the
" said carpenter money ; then the conversation
" ceased. That about the beginning of March last,
" a servant of George Pomfret came for this deponent
" to go to the parsonage house, in Witney aforesaid,
" where the said George Pomfret lived, and this
" deponent accordingly went to the said house and
" found, in company with the said George Pomfret,
" the said Thomas Soames, who both asked him,
" this deponent, to sit down and drink with them,
" and bid him fear nothing, for he should have
" money to pay Carter ; and then asked this deponent
" if he could be revenged on Carter, and if he knew
" anything against Mr. Johnson, Mr. Moulding, or
" Mr. Haskins, or any others that used to keep this
" deponent's master's (Carter's) company ; to which
" this deponent answered he knew nothing ; for he
" was not company for such gentlemen ; that this
" deponent and the said Pomfret and Soames fell to
" drinking, and a pen, ink, and paper were called
" for, and Mr. Pomfret dictated to Soames, who
" wrote what Mr. Pomfret said ; and after burning
" some part of what was wrote, and correcting the
" rest, Soames wrote it again on another piece of
" paper, and both Pomfret and Soames obliged the
" deponent when much in liquor, and without having
WITNEY IN TIMES OF WAR AND TUMULT. 267
" any knowledge of the contents, to write and set
" his name to the said paper ; and Soames gave this
" deponent forty-two shillings, and immediately went
" with him and saw this deponent pay his master
" (Carter) the money he owed him ; and Soames,
" both before and since, gave this deponent money.
" B. Walton. Coram me. Tho. Gery." — (SymoncCs
M.S.S. Collection.)
The state of affairs which the above affidavit
indicates, existed not only at Witney, but in most
places throughout the land. Nearly everywhere there
were those who were yet in favour of the exiled
Stuarts. The spies of George I were, however, to be
found in most places, and by their aid those who
were in favour of rebellion were detected. It would
appear, though, judging from the above, that
sometimes their eagerness was not associated with
discretion, and that the arresting of innocent persons
was the result.
And Witney, too, forty years after, had a small
share in suppressing the insurrection of " Bonnie
Prince Charlie," as the following extract, taken from
the Blanket Company's minute book, shows : —
" 14 Novr., 1745. Whereas it was agreed that
this Company should raise 30 men for the service of
His Majesty in suppressing the present unnatural
rebellion, and it appearing to be agreeable to the
Government to have the same paid in ready money,
(to wit) one guinea for each man, it is agreed and
ordered that the present master do pay the sum of
thirty guineas into the hand of the proper officer,
268 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
and to take a receipt in lieu of the thirty men to
serve as their quota in the Oxfordshire regiment of
foot, commanded by the Right Honourable Lord
Viscount Harcourt."
Much had taken place during the time which
had elapsed since dull heavy-eyed Prince James had
vainly attempted to acquire the throne of his fathers ;
and many families, which had been remarkable for
their attachment to Jacobitism, had changed their
colour. A hatred of civil war, and a desire to see
the nation settling down to enjoy the blessings of
peace, were, doubtless, some of the causes which
induced the Harcourts to fight for the House of
Hanover.
ENCLOSURE RIOTS.
Once again was Witney connected with tumult.
The evils, resulting from the enclosures of
the 1 6th century, have been already referred to.
These encroachments went on in the 18th century,
but very much more rapidly and boldly, and they
were, in very many instances, acts of robbery, pure
and simple. Three hundred and thirty four thousand
nine hundred and seventy four acres of land were
enclosed between 1710 and 1760. It is true that
beneficial results had, in some instances, followed
these encroachments, but this in no way justifies
the robbery. The condition of the labourers, at
this time, was one of chronic misery. Wages had
been steadily falling for a long time, and the cost of
provisions had been at the same time rising. The
small yeoman farmers had been almost extinguished,
WITNEY IN .TIMES OF WAR AND TUMULT. 269
and the old common field system, by which every
farmer had possessed a small quantity of land, had
come to an end. The results which followed,
although in some respects beneficial, had not failed,
nevertheless, to touch the agricultural labourers
deeply. These were some of the causes which
induced the outbreak of the peasantry around Witney
in 1 761. What actually took place is indicated in
a private letter, written from Witney in March,
1761 : —
" Last Saturday noon, a detachment of the
'• Berkshire regiment, commanded by Captain Balgrave,
" with the grenadiers, under Captain Andrews,
" marched into the place. At twelve on Sunday
" night the drum beat to arms — on intelligence being
" received that a party of rioters had risen to demolish
" the fences on North-Leigh Heath ; but before the
" troops could reach the place, the rioters were gone.
" The soldiers marched, however, about the heath
" until five in the morning, and then returned
" to their quarters in Witney. At two in the
" afternoon on Monday, the drums beat again to
" arms, and, intelligence being received that upwards
" of three thousand persons were met together, armed
" with bludgeons and pitch-forks, the soldiers marched
" very speedily to North-Leigh Heath again. They
" found there a very large mob, armed desperately,
" who insulted the officers and soldiers, and refused
" to disperse, though the Justices read the Riot Act
" and proclamation to them. After upwards of an
" hour had elapsed, the souldiers, being still insulted,
270 HISTORY OF WITNEY,
" the Justices ordered the grenadiers to disperse the
" mob, and to take the ringleaders, and disarm the
" rioters ; this they did, under the command of their
" officers, whose diligence and alacrity cannot be
" enough commended. Three or four parties Of
" grenadiers pursued the ringleaders over the hills,
" and took, in all, nine of them. Thus we have,
" without the effusion of blood, got clear of an affair
" which threatened consequences as fatal as any riot
" in the memory of man. This happy event is owing
" to the presence of mind of the Justices, and the
" coolness of the soldiers when in the ranks, and to
" their astonishing diligence as soon as they were
" permitted to pursue the rioters. Several of the
" ringleaders were taken by the officers' own hands.
" A vast number of bludgeons were taken by the
" soldiers."
Occasional outbreaks of a trivial nature, have
taken place in Witney and the neighbourhood since
the above time, but they are almost forgotten now ;
and Witney, in common with other places, has in
these later times reaped the benefits of peace.
^dXKg^o
CHAPTER IX.
HTl)c iEanor
^HE Manor of Witney was granted by King
"^ Edward the Confessor to Alfwine — as was
mentioned in the first chapter of this book. He
does not appear to have held it for any considerable
length of time, for, not long after, when the Queen
was proved innocent of the accusations which had
been flung at her with reference to her familiar
intercourse with Alfwine, the Manor was granted in
celebration of the event, together with nineteen
others, to the Bishopric of Winchester. It is possible,
however, that before this period the prelates of
Winchester had resided in the fine old Hall, which
stood on the site of the house which is now called
"The Mount."
The history of a place is, as a rule, much
connected with those persons in positions of authority
who from early times possessed the manorial rights
272 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
So, the records of Witney, are, as we should expect,
largely associated with the history of the Bishops of
Winchester. Such is often found to be the case
where the Lords of the Manor had no residence ;
some considerable alliance being usually found to
exist between them and the people over whom they
had this warrant of ascendancy. How much more
would such a relation hold good in the present
instance, when the prelates of Winchester appear to
have frequently resided at Witney, and besides, held
the patronage of the benefice. Hence some short
notice of the men who were so closely interested in
the place may perhaps not be considered inappropriate.
Aelfwine, or Alwyn, succeeded to the Bishopric
of Winchester in 1032. He was a man of family
and distinction, and it is said that when Queen
Emma crossed over from Normandy, in order to
marry Edmund the Unready, she was .committed to
the care of Alwyn by her father, the Duke of
Normandy. Alwyn does not appear to have been an
ecclesiastic when he set out from Normandy. His
life had been passed, till this period, in assisting in the
fearful wars which were then devastating all Europe.
But afterwards, as was by no means uncommon in those
days, he entered the ministry of the Church, and,
chiefly through the influence of Queen Emma, he
was appointed to the Bishopric of Winchester. This
was effected by the license of the king, without
permission from the Pope, an act which furnishes
sufficient evidence that Rome had, at that time,
made no claim to appoint English bishops. It is
THE MANOR. 273
possible that this Bishop either built or enlarged
Witney Palace, but here we have no guide, as , the
only record of the style of the structure shows
nothing earlier than the date of the later Norman
Kings.
His successor, Stigand, does not appear to have
had any special connection with Witney, and, perhaps,
as he was by no means a perfect specimen of a Prelate,
the place did not suffer from this fact, but Walcelin,
or Walkelin, who succeeded Stigand, appears to have
spent a portion of his time at Witney. He was a
very great Church builder, and has the credit of
building a good deal of Winchester Cathedral ; hence
it is quite possible that some of the old Norman
Church at Witney was erected during his time. A
story is told with respect to his love for architecture
which illustrates the zeal, which distinguished him
in erecting ecclesiastical buildings.
The King is said to have given him permission
to take as much timber from his wood, called
Hempage, as he could cut and carry in four days
and nights. With such zeal did the Bishop inspire
those who worked for him that it is said the
whole wood was removed in the time named. The
King happened to pass by the place where the wood
had stood. " Am I fascinated ? " said the monarch.
"Where am I? Had I not a delightful wood here?"
The Royal anger blazed out, but when Walkelin
had made his excuses to the monarch, the latter is
said to have remarked, "Walkelin, I was too liberal
in my grant, and you too avaricious in the use you
274 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
made of it. " It is difficult to doubt, with a
knowledge of this Bishop's love for building, that,
when he visited his palace at Witney, he would not rest
until he had exercised his piety and taste in building,
or improving the House of God so near his palace.
It was during the episcopate of Walkelin, that
the Great Survey of Doomsday Book was made, or
at least completed. The portion of it which refers
to Witney is as follows : —
" The Bishop of Winton holds Witenie, Stigand
(now Archbishop) did hold it."
"Here are XXX hides."
"The land is XXIII ploughs."
" There are now in the lordship V ploughs and
IX bondsmen, XXXVI Townsmen, with XI borderers
having XX ploughs."
"Here are II mills of XXXII shillings and VI
pence, and IV acres of meadow."
" The woods III leagues (or miles) long, and II
leagues brood, with their obligations (or outgoings)
are worth L shillings."
" In King Edward's time the whole was valued
at XXII pounds, now at XXV pounds."
What Doomsday book gives us is something
which may be relied on as fairly accurate, as
accurate, no doubt, as our modern decennial census
returns — about the subject of which it treats. Most
of the townships included in the Great Survey,
survive as parishes, bearing in almost all instances
the same name, and having the same, or almost
the same boundaries.
THE MANOR. 275
The bondsmen mentioned in the preceding
quotation in Doomsday Book, were those who ' held
land at the will of the lord and townsmen — free
tenants whose rent was fixed at an annual service.
Borderers, were an obscure class of tenants, but
agreeing in the main with cottars. If an average
of 10 persons be allowed for each holding, there
was a population of 560, but the millers and
handicraftsmen would, probably, make the number
reach 650, or thereabouts ; and when it is remembered
that the total population of England was, at the
period when the Great Survey was taken, but three
millions, we shall not be wrong in stating that
Witney was, in the nth century, a fairly important
place.
William Giffard, the next lord of Witney, was
occupied chiefly with political matters. The Crusades,
too, were exciting much attention, so that it is not
at all surprising to find that during the episcopacy
of this Bishop, time was not found to pay the
Palace at Witney a visit.
Henry of Blois, Abbot of Glastonbury and King
Stephen's brother, seems to have frequently visited
the Palace at Witney, and spent a considerable
portion of his time there, at least, as much as can
be expected of a man who was ceaselessly engaged
in attending to the affairs of his unfortunate brother.
It is possible that Henry of Blois may have built
some part of Witney Church, though what part it
would be impossible to conjecture. It was during
his episcopate that the important Charter of Robert^
276 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Bishop of Lincoln, containing the confirmation of a
donation to Walter, the first Prior of Holy Cross,
and his brethren, of a number of Churches, including
" Witteneia," was made.
This Prelate was the real ruler of the realm for
more than twenty years. On the coinage of the
period the Bishop is represented on one side, the
King on the other ; and, as there was a mint at
Witney, silver pennies, then the only coins, may
have been minted at Witney.
Not much is heard, for some time, of Witney in
connection with its lords, doubtless for a reason
before given — the enthusiasm which the Crusades
created. This relates to the two successors of Henry
of Blois, but the next, Peter de Orival, de Rupibus,
or des Roches, passed much of his time at Witney,
and was frequently visited by more than one
Sovereign. This man played an altogether important
part at the unhappy period when the nation had
the misfortune to be governed by Henry III, a
Sovereign of foreign sympathies, and weak will. It
was during the minority of this King that the Bishop
acquired such remarkable influence over him. In
the reign of John, Des Roches had been much
concerned in the events which had taken place with
reference to matters of great moment which were
then proceeding. How John and his son Henry
visited Witney has been related in another chapter.
Des Roches was a Poitevin, one of a band of
foreigners, who were much better versed in the
THE MANOR. 277
art of pleasing monarchs than were the English.
The influence of Des Roches over Henry III was
great during the minority of the latter, and he still
retained this when the King arrived at years of
discretion. There were at the- Court, at that time,
two parties — those who were in favour of English
courtiers and statesmen ; these gathered round the
gallant Englishman, Hubert de Burgh — and, on the
other hand, there were foreign mercenaries who had
been raised to power in a previous reign, and these
gathered round the wily Poitevin. The great
characteristic of Des Roches appears to have been
his hatred of everything English, and for some years
a strife went on with the Bishop and his hungry
countrymen on the one side, and those on the other
side who thought, not unnaturally, that they were
capable of ministering to the wants of their own
country without requiring help from outsiders. But
there were other circumstances, besides the support
of influential foreigners who had settled in England3
which made Des Roches a formidable antagonist.
At this time there was a struggle proceeding between
the Churches of England and Rome, the latter
endeavouring to assert that the former was subservient
to the Pope. Peter was the avowed champion of the
Papacy, and it is not at all unlikely that we have
cause to attribute to this man the unhappy position
in which the Church of England found herself soon
after this date. The strife between Hubert de Burgh
and Peter des Roches proceeded, but before long the
cause of Hubert triumphed, and Peter fin. ling his
27^ History of witney.
infTuence on the wane, donned the scallop hat and
staff and started on a pilgrimage to the Holy
Sepulchre. After some years, the subtle Poitevin
returned, and quickly regained his old influence over
the King. The struggle again commenced, but this
time Peter was more successful, and after a time
accomplished the defeat of the brave Englishman,
de Burgh. Then for some time Peter had matters
very much his own way, though, of course, envy
procured him many enemies. One of these was the
earliest of our philosophers — Roger Bacon — a
Francisian Friar at Oxford, the man who was in
thought some hundreds of years before his time. It
was about this period that Bacon was imprisoned
upon a charge of dealing with Satan, though whether
it was before or after the time at which the following
event happened, there is no opportunity of deciding.
Bacon was one of the Royal Chaplains, and he
appears to have had, as an Englishman, a peculiarly
violent hatred of Des Roches. The King is said to
have asked Bacon " of what a prudent pilot of a ship
was most in peril ? " " Stones and Rocks ! " was the
reply ; the answer, of course, having reference to
the name of his wily adviser — Peter of the Rocks.
But a time was near when the power of the English
became too great, and the skill of Peter and his
band of foreigners was useless in face of the
determination of those who were dear lovers of their
country ; and after Assemblies at Oxford, before
and after which Peter would be likely to find time
to visit his Palace at Witney, the King was compelled
THE MANOR. 279
to counsel his favourite to attend exclusively to his
spiritual affairs. Des Roches, after several years' of
absence, returned to England, died at Farnham, and
was buried in Winchester Cathedral.
Another important lord of Witney was Adam
de Oreton. Possibly it was in connection with one
of his visits to Witney that he preached at Oxfoid
a remarkable sermon, which created much sensation
at the time it was delivered. Taking as his text
the words, "My head, my head," (ii Kings iv, 19),
he endeavoured to prove that as the head of the
kingdom was in disorder, it was the duty of the
members to provide for their welfare. It has been
stated in another part of this book that this Bishop
presented to the Rectorate a man of the same name
as himself, and one who was, therefore, in all
probability, a relative.
The Manor was held for some centuries by the
Bishops of Winchester, and, possibly, they
visited the place until the 14th century. When the
country was disturbed with commotions, the Palace
at Witney was deemed unsuitable for means of
defence, and the Winchester Prelates very naturally
elected to live, all the year, in their stronger
habitation at Farnham.
During the time of the Commonwealth, the
Manor, with the appurtenances, was let by the
Bishop of Winchester for a lease of lives, and William
Lenthall, the Speaker of the House of Commons
became the first Lord under the new conditions,
2<8o HISTORY OF WITNEY.
SPKAKER LENTHALL.
William, second son of William Lenthall, of
Lachford, in Oxfordshire, was born at Henley-on-
Thames in 1 591. He entered himself as a commoner
on the books of St. Alban's Hall, Oxford, but he
does not appear to have taken a degree. He then
proceeded to study law ; became a Counsellor of
considerable note, and was elected Lent Reader to
Lincoln's Inn. From a very early period of his
career he settled in the neighbourhood of Burford,
probably at Asthall, though he did not buy the
Priory till some years after. There is the following
entry in the Register of Baptism in Burford
Church : —
" !626. — William, the son of Mr. William Lenthall
baptised, January 8th."
This entry of course refers to the baptism of
a son of the Speaker.
In an Act of Parliament, dated 1629, relating
to an enquiry into certain affairs connected with the
town of Burford, he is spoken of as Mr. William
Lenthall, of Burford. He purchased the Priory of
Lord Falkland, in 1636. This was not given him by
the Parliament, as the author of the Mystery of the
Good Old Cause asserts, but there is every reason to
believe that the estate was bought under an assumed
name; — the supposition being that Lord Falkland knew
that Lenthall had a desire for the estate, and he would
ask from him a higher price than from an ordinary
individual, while Speaker Lenthall, whose avaricious
THE MANOR. 28 1
desires were always plainly discernible, would desire
to purchase at the lowest possible price.
Lenthall was first elected Member for Woodstock
in 163Q, at the very time that the struggle between
the King and the Parliament began to assume a
most serious appearance. A new Parliament had
been elected, and the election had run in favour of
the popular party. Lenthall, although a lawyer of
some reputation, was quite a novice in Parliamentary
matters, and his election as Speaker by the party
opposed to the King, created some astonishment.
He does not appear to have made a very favourable
impression as Speaker (being regarded as rather mild
and timorous) till the King took the ill-advised step
of trying to arrest five Members of the House of
Commons, who had been his most persistent opponents.
On this occasion, Lenthall acted with great courage
and wisdom. The King approached the House with
his usual retinue, and as he walked up the floor
the Members stood up to receive him. Speaker
Lenthall quitted the Chair, which the King immediately
occupied. He made a short speech in which he
demanded the five Members, and asked the Speaker,
who was standing below, if any of the five were in
the House. Then it was that Lenthall, falling on
one knee, made the following answer, which is so
often quoted now in debates respecting the jurisdiction
of the Speaker : —
" I have, Sir, neither eyes to see, nor tongue
to speak, in this place, but as the House is pleased
to direct me, whose servant I am ; and I humbly
282 HISTORY OP WITNEY.
ask pardon that I cannot give any other answer
to what your Majesty is pleased to demand of me."
The King soon found out that the birds had
flown, and left the Chamber, some of the indignant
Members shouting, " Privilege, Privilege."
Things continued to prosper with the Speaker,
and he seems to have been remarkably successful
in his efforts to obtain money. He became Master
of the Rolls in 1643 (worth X3>°00 Per annum) ;
one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal, 1646
(worth ^1,500 per annum) ; Chamberlain of the
City of Chester (a place of profit and honour) ; and
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (worth ^*i,ooo
per annum) ; and as a writer has quaintly remarked
" anything else he desired." Besides the offices
mentioned above, he had ^"2,000 per annum as
Speaker.
In 1648, Lenthall gave his casting vote against
the proposal, in the House, that negociations should
proceed with the King in the Isle of Wight. Lenthall
continued Speaker of the Long Parliaments till 1653,
when the career of that body was brought to an
unexpected close. This Parliament did not, it was
stated, represent the feeling of the nation, and the
Members had been requested to resign by Cromwell
and others. The resignation of their seats by the
Members was the only legal way in which a dissolution
could be brought about, as there was no Sovereign
to order a compulsory dissolution. It was soon
apparent that the Members had no intention what-
ever, of resigning. If, however, they thought
THE MANOR. 283
their position a secure one, they suffered a rude
awakening, for on a momentous day in the History
of England, the Protector with 300 musketeers went
down to the House. A debate was proceeding, relating
to the payment of officers in the Army, when Cromwell
entered the Chamber, saying, " I have come to do a
thing which I have prayed God day and night with
tears that it might not be necessary for me to do."
He listened to the debate for a time, then suddenly
said, " Now is the time I must do it," stamped
with his foot, and the musketeers poured in.
Lenthall expressed his determination not to leave
the Chair till forced. " Sir, I will lend you a
hand," said Harrison, and Lenthall with the other
Members was forced to go, with the words, " Make
way for honester men," ringing in their ears.
Cromwell at the same time appears to have had a
very sincere respect for Lenthall, as in the following
year he became Speaker of the Parliament then
sitting. He was the Speaker, too, of the Parliament
which sat during the Protectorate of Richard
Cromwell, and in his capacity as Speaker, welcomed
General Monk, when he came with his army to
put an end to the uncertainty relating to the
government of the country.
After the honourable part Lenthall had taken
in the formation of the Commonwealth, it seems
strange that he should subscribe ^*3,ooo towards the
expenses of the Restoration. It may have been, of
course, that Lenthall honestly recognised that a
monarchy was again essential to the nation, and
284 HISTORY OF WITNEY
certainly General Monk asserted that the Restoration
could not have been brought about without his
help ; but at the time, the money was looked upon
as the price paid for the purchase of his own safety.
He was exiled, as were most of the leaders of the
Republican movement, but the sentence was quickly
recalled, and Lenthall appears to have settled down
to live his remaining days in peace at the Priory.
Before his death he is said to have made a
confession to the Rev. Dr. Ralph Brideoak, Rector
of Witney, in something like the following terms : —
" Yes, there is my trouble, my disobedience, not
against my natural parents only, but against the
Pater Patriae, our deceased Sovereign. I confess
with Saul, I held their clothes whilst they murdered
him, but herein I was not so criminal as Saul was :
for God, thou knowest, I never consented to his
death. I ever prayed and endeavoured what I could
against it, but I did too much, Almighty God
forgive me."
On being urged to confess what he knew of
the murder of the King, he distinctly denied that
he was cognisant of the end they had in view : —
" Cromwell and his agents deceived a wiser
man than myself, I mean that excellent King ; and
they might well deceive me also, and so they
did."
After this confession he received the absolution
of the Church, Wood says, " with much content
and satisfaction."
THE MANOR. 285
It is by no means certain that Lenthall confessed
in anything like the terms Brideoak asserted he did.
The latter was a contemptible time-server, who did
not hesitate to adopt any steps if only he could
secure his own advancement. No doubt Lenthall
made some sort of confession, though, probably
not so contemptible a one as Brideoak afterwards
asserted.
In the preamble to his will he left explicit
instructions that no monument should be raised to
his memory : —
" As to my body and buryall, I do leave it to
the disposition and discretion of my executor,
hereafter named, but with this special charge, that
it be done as privately as may be, without any
state, acknowledging myself to be unworthy of the
least outward regard in this world, and unworthy
of any remembrance, that hath been so great a
sinner, and I do further charge and desire that no
monument be made for me, but at the utmost a
plain stone with this inscription only — Vermis sum.'1''
He acknowledges to have been plentifully blessed
with worldy goods —
" Given unto me by my dear God that made
heaven and earth, and hath provided for me a
place, not made with hands, but eternally in the
heavens ; yet that it may be manifest to the world
how injuriously to my prejudice false rumours, and
lying lips, have advanced my temporal estate, I
shall truly manifest the same to the world by the
gifts and bequests hereafter to be made."
286 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Speaker Lenthall died at the Priory in 1662,
and was buried under Pynnock's Aisle in Burford
Parish Church.
In 1670, Lord Cornbury was the Lord of th@
Manor of Witney, and after this Henry, Earl of
Clarendon, who was succeeded by Lawrence, Earl
of Rochester. In 1751, the Duke of Marlborough
acquired the Manorial Rights, and in 1821 the
Earl of Shaftesbury, but the Manor came again to
the Marlboroughs, and was finally purchased by
them not many years ago.
^£)XK^
CHAPTER X.
Grammar ^d)ooJ,
^HE family of Box appears to have been early and
honourably connected with the town of Witney.
By referring to the extracts, taken from the
Churchwardens' Account Book, the part some
members took in Church matters may be seen, and
the following extract from the Calendars of State
Papers is not without interest : —
" 1 633- 1 634. Jan. 22. Calendar of State Papers.
" Sir Francis Wenman and Dr. John Standard
" to the Council. In obedience to their order of 6th
" December, 1633, on a petition preferred by Philip
" Box and John Box, sons and administrators of
" Thomas Box concerning the taking away of a
" statute of ^"360, acknowledged by John Bainsford to
" Thomas Box, with other writings ; the writers
"met at Witney on the 17th inst., and called the
288 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
" parties before them. Finding no possibility of
" composing the differences, they certify that there
" was such a statute, which they believe to be
" undischarged ; and Elizabeth Box, widow of
" deceased, and mother of petitioners, professes that
" the statute and other writings were brought in a
<l trunk into the house of Rob. Bowman, father-in-law
"of John Box, and were left there in John Box's
" chamber, which chamber Rob. Bowman confesses
" he brake open, that he might come at two beds
" which he had occasion to use for strangers, but
" denies that he brake up any trunks, and yet John
" Box affirms that he lost divers writings out of those
" trunks, in his absence."
This is all that can be ascertained with reference
to this family ; it may be assumed, however, that
they occupied a position of some importance in
Witney, and that they identified themselves with
most things which were for the benefit of the town
in which they resided.
Henry Box, the founder, is described by the
Rev. William Mills, M.A., in a poem, entitled, "In
Memoriam," (written to commemorate the Bicentenary
of the School), as of Oriel College, Oxford ; proceeding
thence to a London house of business, in which he
appears to have acquired considerable wealth and
to have become a man of some importance. He
seems, also, to have served in Parliament in James
I's reign. But he did not forget his native place,
and in his will, made in 1663, he left a certain sum
of money to establish a School, the following
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GRAMMAR SCHOOL. 28Q
particulars, respecting which, have been obtained
from the Rev. H. F. Pinder, M.A., the present
Head-master of Witney Grammar School.
FREE SCHOOL AT WITNEY, OXFORDSHIRE.
FOUNDED BY HENRY BOX, ESQ.
Henry Box, Citizen and Grocer, of London, by
his will made in 1663, after reciting that, out of a
sincere intention of public good, he had, at his own
proper costs and charges in his lifetime, erected a
large Free School, with a very fair house for one
schoolmaster, and one usher, standing upon two acres
of ground, in Witney, in the County of Oxford,
declared his intention to settle the said house and
land, and ^50 per annum, charged on his lands at
Longworth, Berkshire. And further declared that
his intention was to have the same settled upon
the four Wardens of the Fraternity of the Art or
Mystery of Grocers of the City of London, for the
maintenance of the said Free School, schoolmaster,
and usher.
By an Act of Parliament, 15, Charles II, entitled
" An Act for the settling of a Free School in Witney,
in the County of Oxon, being erected and endowed
by Henry Box, Citizen and Grocer, of London,
deceased," it was enacted that for ever thenceforth
there should be in the town of Witney, in the
County of Oxon, one Free Grammar School for
education and instruction of children and youth, |q
29O HISTORY OF WITNEY.
be called the Free Grammar School of the foundation
of Henry Box, and that there should be one master
and one usher of the said School, and that the
four Wardens of the Company of Grocers, should
be Governors of the revenues and possessions of the
Grammar School, and they were for that purpose
incorporated by the name of the Governors of the
Free Grammar School of Witney, in the County of
Oxon, of the foundation of Henry Box, and of the
possessions and revenues thereof ; and that Mary
Box, relict of the said Henry Box, might ordain
statutes, constitutions, and ordinances, touching the
said schoolmaster, usher and scholars. And that
the Provost of Oriel College, in Oxford, and four
of the Senior Fellows there for the time being, or
O 7
any three of them, whereof the said Provost to be
one, should be, and were thereby appointed Visitors
of the said school for ever, who were thereby
required from time to time to act, do, execute, and
perform all and every matter and thing, whatsoever,
fitting, usual, and requisite in that behalf.
By an indenture, dated the 19th of July, 1670,
after reciting that Mary Box had paid into the
hands of the Wardens of the Grocers' Company the
sum of ^"286, in consideration of that sum, paid to
Ralph Box, by the said Wardens, Ralph Box
granted to the Wardens a rent charge of £13 a
year out of the said property, in the parish of
Longworth. The application of the said sums of
^"50 and ^13 is declared to be as follows : —
GRAMMAR SCHOOL. 29 1
To the Master ... ... ... 35
out of which he was to pay for
a Dinner to the Visitors £2, and
to keep for repairs ^"3.
To the Usher ... ... ... 15
To the Writing Master 10
To the Poor of Witney 2
To the Visitors for Horse Hire,
when visiting the School ... 1
63
Certain ordinances, dated the 14th December,
1674, were made by Mary Box, in accordance with
the Act, of which the material points are that the
Master should be a Master of Arts of a University
within the dominion of the Crown of England, and
that Latin, Greek, and Hebrew should be taught
free in the School to thirty scholars of the town
of Witney, with preference to the poorest inhabitants.
A Writing- and Arithmetic Master is to be
appointed with a salary of /io a year ; the
foundation boys to pay 1 - and the others 5 - a
quarter for such instruction. The Visitors are to
ascertain, and certify the fitness of ^the persons
nominated for the office of master, or usher.
By subsequent ordinances made in [805 by the
Governors, with the approbation of the Visitors,
every scholar, except a descendant of Henry Box,
was required to pay to the Master, besides the
admission fee of 26, the sum of one guinea a
292 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
— p .
quarter, and to the usher, for instruction in writing
and arithmetic, 5/- a quarter.
The Rev. Henry Gregory took office as Head
Master, in 1834, when the pupils numbered nine.
Upon his retirement in 1876, there was only one
pupil. The Court of Assistants, after anxious
consultation with the Charity Commissioners, decided
that it would be undesirable to attempt to revive
the Grammar School, but that there appeared to be
a fair prospect of success for a Middle-class day and
boarding school, adapted to the requirements of the
farmers, and tradespeople of Witney and the
neighbourhood. The School buildings were accordingly
modernised, and thoroughly renovated at an expense
to the Company of about ^"1,500, and with the
concurrence of the Charity Commissioners, Mr. Heel
of Stamford House, Witney (where he had a school
of twenty boar ders, and seveteen day boys) was
nominated Head Master.
HEAD MASTERS.
By Act of Parliament, Mary Box appointed
Masters till her death in 17 18.
1 71 8. Rev. John Goole. First Master appointed
by the Wardens of the Grocers Company.
1748. Rev. Benjamin Gutteridge.
1767. Rev. George Seele.
1805. Rev. Thomas Cripps.
1834. Rev. Henry Gregory.
1876. Mr. J. J. Heel.
1 88 1. Rev. H. F. Pinder.
GRAMMAR SCHOOL. 293
At the commencement of the 18th century this
School was the subject of much contention amongst
the inhabitants, and, as was the custom of the time
in any dispute, pamphlets were published concerning
the matter. It is unnecessary to refer in detail to
the quarrel, it will be sufficient to remark that the
principal allegation against the head-master at the
time was that he had not treated the children of
Dissenters so well as he had those of the Church
people. The names of the pamphlets published are
here given : —
(1), " The Contract violated, or the Hasty
Marriage, by John Goole, M.A., Master of the Free
School at Witney, and Vicar of Eynsham, in the
county of Oxford." This pamphlet relates to a
clandestine marriage between the author and Dr.
Hudson's daughter.
(2). " The present state of the Free School at
Witney, in Oxfordshire, &c."
(3). " An answer to a scandalous pamphlet,
entitled, ' The present state of the Free School at
Witney, in Oxfordshire, &c, by John Goole, M.A.,
Vicar of Eynsham, and Master of the Free School
at Witney, in the county of Oxford. (Oxf., 1721
8vo.') "
(4). " Remarks upon Mr. Goole's answer to the
present state of the Free School at Witney, in
Oxfordshire. By R. Collier. (London, 1721, 8vo.) "
In 1761 the School was beautified and repaired
by the Rev. Benjamin Gutteridge, Master. Under
the same master, the School sent many pupils to
2Q4 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
the University of Oxford. There is in the School
House, and the property of the School, a small but
excellent collection of books. The author is indebted
to the Rev. W. D. Macray, M.A., Rector of
Ducklington, for the following account of these
books : —
"In Witney Grammar School, founded in 1663,
"there is a small library, numbering probably about
" 200 volumes. They comprise many old folio and
" quarto editions of classical writers, with various
" lexicons, useful books, but of no particular value,
" except that amongst them is a very fine copy of
" the rare Eustathian Homer, printed at Rome in
" 1542-50, 4 vols., and a good copy of Stephen's own
" edit, of his Thesaurus with a fine one of Stephen's
"Budaeus, printed in 1548. Amongst books non-
" classical is a very good copy of Walton's Polyglott,
" with the rare dedication to Charles II, but not the leaf
" with Cromwell's name. A fine copy of the Bishops'
"Bible, of 1583, Minsheu's "Guide of tongues, 1627,"
" Plot's Oxfordshire ; Sanderson's Sermons ; Bayle's
" Diet., &c. In the latter half of the last century,
" several alumni contributed to the enlargement of
" the library, viz. Edw. Stone, Scholar of Wadham
" College ; Charles Tyrrell, of Exeter Coll. ; John le
"Marchant, of Pembr. Coll.; in 1752, Thos. Knight,
"gent com., and Thos. Home, scholar, of Trin.
"Coll.; in 1757, Rob. Freind ; in 1758, Rob.
"Stephens, of Trin. Coll. ; in 1759, George Watts;
"in 1760 Rob. Southley, of Queen's Coll; but in
" the present century there have only been two,
GRAMMAR SCHOOL. 295
"John Leech, solicitor, who gave, in 1809, a folio
"prayer book, printed in 1706 ; and the Rev. Thomas
" Cripps, M.A., Head-master, who left, about 1830,
"some small books of still smaller value ; but amongst
" them he left also a little' M.S. volume, which has
" a good deal of interest. It is a common place book
" of Ralph Warcopp, of Ch. Ch., afterwards M.P. for
" Oxfordshire, in the time of James I, while he was
" resident in the University. It contains many
" copies of Latin letters relative to the Universities,
" and interesting historical collections which display
" strong Protestant feeling. There are some Latin
"lines on a ring, sent by Queen Mary of Scotland
"to Queen Elizabeth, in 1562."
The visitor to Witney will scarcely fail to observe
on the left, after passing the Church from the
G.W.R. station, a magnificent avenue of elm trees.
These lead to Box's Grammar School, and entirely
shut out the interesting and substantial School House
from public gaze. Here, during some centuries, the
youths of the town have had opportunities for
reaping the benefits which good old Box arranged
for them in ancient times. It is possible, and indeed
probable, that it was in a house which formerly stood
on the site of the present one that the Box family
lived, and it may have been from the fact that the
family had no more use for a living place in Witney
that Henry Box decided to give this house for the
education of boys in his native town.
f&&&
CHAPTER XI.
€i)arities of Wlitney.
BLAKE S SCHOOL.
f^ILLIAM BLAKE endowed by will, dated 1693,
a School in the High Street for thirty
children. The sum was only £6 per annum with
which this School was endowed, but the house and
garden were also given as well as an unimportant sum
for the repairs. This charity appears to have been
lost ; at least, in a report of the Charity Commissioners,
dated 1871, a blank space appears, where in charities
still in existence there is an account of the income
derived; but in 1823 the School was in existence, and
twenty-five scholars attended it.
CHURCH GREEN ALMSHOUSES.
This is an ancient charity, for when an inquisition
was taken under a Commission for charitable uses, in
1652, this was then in existence. The property
CHARITIES OF WITNEY. 297
situated near the entrance to the Grammar School,
was renovated in 1814. The rents are now paid
to the Witney Feoffees and applied to the use of
the poor. Present income ^39.
holloway's almshouses and school.
John Holloway, of Finsbury, by will dated 1723
directed his executors to build an Almshouse on
Church Green for the residence of six poor widows.
He also left his estate at Curbridge to the same
charity.
The testator also left his house, situated at the
bottom of Woodgreen Hill, to be used as a school.
He endowed the latter with his estates in the parish
of Stonesfield, also two fields containing 18 acres in
Hailey, and his estate, called Black Pit Assarts.
The testator directed that the boys educated at this
school should be clothed after the manner of the
Bluecoat Hospital boys in London, and he especially
stipulated that the scholars should be the sons of poor
journeymen weavers. The Charity Commissioners
reported in 1823, that this charity might be usefully
extended by admitting the children of journeymen
fullers, and this seems to have been done of late
years.
In 1823, the property belonging to the
Almshouse charity, consisted of 79 acres, ird. 34pls
at Curbridge, also of 15 acres 6 poles in the same
village ; at Ducklington, 5 acres of grass land ; at
Crawley, land let at 30- per annum ; at Curbridge,
Sturnham Meadow, one acre. The School property
298 HISTORY OF WITNEY
in 1823 consisted of 47 acres, 2 roods, 12 poles of
land at Stonesfield ; about 20 acres at Hailey ;
the Black Pitt Assarts, containing 22 acres, 2 roods,
10 poles.
John Holloway also directed that 20/- per
annum should be allowed to the trustees for taking
care of the estates. After the payment of the
expenses connected with the school, the rents and
profits of the estates were directed to be applied
to the placing out of the boys in some honest
trade or calling.
Edmund Wright also gave in i860 ^"4,800 Stock,
the interest of which was to be applied to the
Bluecoat School.
heyling's charity.
Henry Heyling of Minster Lovell, left in 1695
for the relief of the poor of Witney, the sum of
^"100. From the report of the Charity Commissioners
in 1823, it would appear that this money was used
for the purchase of an estate at Hailey, now in
the possession of the Trustees of the Freelands-
The testator expressly stipulated that this money
should be applied to the relief of those who were
not in receipt of parish pay ; and they were, moreover,
to be of the number of those who should frequent
the Church of Witney.
FREELAND ESTATE.
Several people appear, at various times, to have
left to the poor of Witney different sums, and these
amounted in 1682 to ^417 10s. In the 33rd year
CHARITIES OF WITNEY. 299
of Charles II's reign, this was ordered to be laid
out in land, and an estate called the Threfts, was
purchased. In 1813, Great Vincents and Little
Vincents were bought at Freeland, and Horse Lease
at Bampton, from monies accruing from the sale of
timber on the Threfts ; land at Hailey appears also
to have been purchased, and in 1823 the average
income was declared to be as follows : —
Rent of Freeland Farm 43 o o
Average of underwood in 10
years 17 6 o
Ditto of Timber in 10 years 46 o o
Rent of Bampton Land 18 o o
Rent of Hailey Land 12 00
£ I36 6 °
In 1867 the income was ^"92 10s., half of which
sum was spent in kind, and the other half in
distribution of money.
CHARITIES UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BAILIFFS.
William Lee left in 1632 the sum of ^"100 to
the intent that land might be purchased, which
should yield £2 13s. 4d. yearly. Forty shillings of
this was directed to be laid out in bread and beef
every Christmas Eve to 40 poor men and women ; 10'-
yearly for a sermon, to be preached on Christmas Day
in the afternoon ; " 3/4 to be laid out in a drinking
for the said feoffees, in consideration for their pains
therein."
Joan Green left /20, with which a house in
Corn Street was purchased, the rent of which was
300 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
to be applied for the relief of poor widows in
Witney, on Christmas Eve.
Thomas Yeate left an annuity of 40/- to the
use of the poor of Witney.
John Smith, of Hailey, gave certain lands in
Hailey, one half of the produce of which should be for
the use of the poorest widows and orphans of Hailey,
and the other half for like objects in Witney.
Thomas 'Wiltshire left 10- yearly out of a
certain tenement, for the use of the town.
Richard Ashcombe left a house, adjoining the
Town Hall, now occupied by Messrs. Clappen. The
rent of the dwelling-house and shops, in 1823, about
^"15 a year, was received by the Bailiffs, and applied
by them towards discharging the expense of a
dinner, about Michaelmas, on their being elected.
"From the year 1760 this rent has never been
entered amongst their general receipts, but has always
been applied as at present ; and a decree of
Commission of charitable uses, in 1676, by which the
income of the several premises in Witney were
ordered to be disposed of to the poor, expressly
excepts the Town House, probably meaning this
house." — {Report of Charity Commissioners, 1823).
The property in the possession of the Bailiffs
in 1823 was as follows: — The Town House; the
Town Hall ; three houses on the South side of Corn
Street ; house on the the North side of Corn Street ;
four tenements ; three tenements in Gunn's Hole ;
a charge of 10s. on a house in Corn Street ; a rent
charge of 40s. on the Free School.
CHARITIES OF WITNEY. 3OI
The whole; of the above produced a rental at
the date mentioned of ^47 6s. 8d.
charities under the management of the
churchwardens.
west and Walter's charity.
Elizabeth West, by will dated 1638, left property
in the parish of Appleton, one half to the parishioners
of Witney ; the other to Eynsham and Standlake.
This charity was to be disposed of in bread, the
Churchwardens to have I2d. for a dinner. They
were also to cause a sermon to be preached on
Easter Day.
John Walter, by will dated 1635, left property
in Appleton, one half of the profits of which should
be for the use of the poor and impotent of Witney ;
the other half for Standlake and Eynsham. This
charity was directed to be distributed in bread.
The Churchwardens were allowed to take yearly from
this charity the sum of 10s., provided they did their
duty. The income, in 1823, was £70 ; £31 came to
Witney.
ANDREW HOLLO WAY'S CHARITY.
Andrew Holloivay left six houses in Corn Street,
called Duck Alley, the profits of which were to be
given for the poor of Witney in bread. If the houses
named were not kept in good repair the gift was to
go to the town of Bampton.
302 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
collier's CHARITY.
Francis Collier left land at Hailey, amounting
to five acres, the profits of which were to be given
in bread to the poor of Witney (such as usually
attend Church). A table of benefactions, which used
to stand in the Church, stated that Francis Collier
left two gifts, one estate of £6 ios. per annum ; the
other one of £8 ios. per annum, both lying in
Hailey. The latter of these appears to have been
lost many years ago.
George Poulton, by will dated 1774, gave a
parcel of meadow ground, called " Goose Ham,"
containing one acre, the profits arising from the rent
of which were to be distributed in the same manner
as the charity known as West and Walter's Charity.
WILMOT'S CHARITY.
Leonard Wilmot, in 1608, left £4. yearly to be
distributed amongst the poor of Witney. The
testator especially stipulated that no part of this
charity should be enjoyed by those who were in
receipt of parish relief. The sum mentioned, £/\.}
was, in 1823, given away on Good Friday in sixpences
to poor people of the parish.
CHARITIES FOR LOANS.
By an inquisition, taken under a Commission
dated 1652, it was found that sums, amounting to
£0)7 6s. 8d., had been given for loans to poor
tradesmen. This money, with interest, &c, amounted
at a later time to ^53^ Tos. 4d. A large part of
CHARITIES OF WITNEY. 303
this sum was expended in the purchase of lands at
Eynsham, called Freeland ; but, in 1823, Commissioners
reported that they could find no trace of the existence
of any part of the money left for loans.
ORGANIST.
James Leverett, of Witney, by will dated 1783,
left the sum of ^"600 for the purchase of a good
organ, to be put in the parish Church of Witney,
the residue to be placed out at interest, and to be
applied to the support and salary of an organist
at Witney. The residue was ^"404, and this, in
1823, brought in an income of ^~I2 2s. od.
waring's charity.
Elijah Waring, by will dated 18 13, directed
^"1000 to be given to Witney, the interest of which
was to be applied for the purchase of bread, to be
distributed amongst the poor inhabitants of Witney,
Hailey, Crawley, and Newland. This money was
invested in the three per cents.
GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
Henry Box, by will, dated 1661, gave the School
House at Witney, and he also gave to the said
school an annuity of ^"50.
coal fund.
G. J. Hanks gave in 1874 ^"1,000 to the
Rector and Churchwardens, the interest of which was
to be expended in coal.
304 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Mrs. \framngto7i, by will, 1881, left ^"450 to
the Bailiffs of Witney, the interest of which was to
be given in coal to the poor.
The two last mentioned Charities are distributed
by a Committee elected annually.
PRESENT DISTRIBUTION OF CHARITIES.
The following are the accounts of the Charities
distributed in the town in 1892, so far as can be
ascertained : —
WITNEY FEOFFEES.
Receipts : — Rent of new houses, Church Green,
£61 os. od. ; rent of houses, High St., ^"30 os. od. ;
rent of land, Church Green, £& 10s. od. ; rent of
houses near Grammar School, ^"39 os. od. ; a house
South side Corn St., £12 os. od. ; two houses North
side Corn St., i!ii us. od. ; Duck Alley (part year)
£<\ 5s. 6d. ; total £166 6s. 6d.
Expenditure : — Paid Bailiffs ^"60 os. od. ;
Churchwardens £8 os. od. ; Feoffees supper, £2 os. od.
repairs, taxes, collector, and towards building new-
houses in Duck Alley, ^96 6s. 6d. ; total £ib(> 6s. 6d.
The Feoffees are :— Messrs. J. D. Bliss, J. A.
Clinch, H. Druce, Jas. Long, Jas. Marriott, H. H.
Salmon, S. Shuffrey, and J. Swingburn.
FREELAND FEOFFEES.
Receipts : — From Nanny Townsend's Gift
£$ 12s. 6d. ; from rent Bampton property £12 10s. od. ;
from Freeland property, ^"58 16s. od. ; from Cox's
Close, ^"14 os. od. ; total ^90 18s. 6d.
CHARITIES OF WITNEY. 2>°S
Expenditure : — Widows (clothing) £6 os. od. ;
rates, taxes, and insurance, £<) 4s. nd. ; repairs,
£$ us. 4d. ; bailiffs, £$ os. od. ; Rector, Bailiffs,
Churchwardens and Overseers, £60 9s. 3d. ; Feoffees'
supper £2 3s. od. ; tenants' supper, £1 10s. os. ;
total ^"90 1 8s. 6d.
The amount paid to Rector, Bailiffs, Churchwardens,
and Overseers was handed over to, (1) the Bailiffs,
(2) Coal Fund, and (3) Nurse Fund.
The present trustees, appointed in 1878 by the
Rector, Churchwardens, Bailiffs and Overseers, are
: — Messrs. H. C. Townsend (deceased), H. Druce, J.
E. Shillingford, T. W. Foreshew, Ed. Hyde, T. C
Early and J. D. Bliss.
bailiffs' accounts for 1892-3.
Income : — Received from former Bailiffs, £2 os. od. ;
received from Freeland Feoffees, ^"47 us 9d. ; received
from Witney Feoffees, £60 os. od. ; Messrs. Clappen
(rent) ^"30 os. od. ; rent of Town Hall, £^ 15s. od. ;
rent charge from " Malt Shovel," 10s. ; received
from Blake's Trustees, £1 10s. ; rent charge (Grammar
School) £2 os. od. ; received fiom Priest Hill,
Hailey, £3 10s. od. ; received from Stocks (Mrs.
Warrington) ^"12 7s. 4d. ; balance, £1 8s. 4d.; total,
/165 12s. 5d.
Expenditure : — Bread, ^13 3s. 3d. ; beef,
^"103 19s. 8d. ; widows' groats, £\ 15s. od. ; gas,
£2 3s. od. ; repairs, £9 6s. 6d. ; winding Clock,
£4 7s. 4d. ; ringers and band for Royal Wedding,
£6 15s. od. ; ambulance, -£z 2s, od. ; insurance and
306 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
quit rent, £i 2S. iod. ; Rector, ios. ; coal committee,
£\z 7s. 40!. ; fat stock show, £\ is. od. ; F. J.
D. Westell, Esq., £1 is. od. ; supper, printing, and
sundries, £$ 18s. 6d. ; total, /165 12s. sd.
Bailiffs for the year : Messrs T. Andrews, and
W. D. Hyde.
THE CHURCHWARDENS' ACCOUNTS, 1 892.
Receipts : — Rent from Appleton, £zd os. od. ;
Witney Feoffeees, £8 os. od. ; rent of Hailey property,
^16 os. od. ; rent of Bampton property, £4 os. od. ;
rent of Goose Ham, £4 os. od. ; total ^58 os. od.
Expenditure : — Bread ^49 9s. 3d. ; taxes, &c,
£4 1 os. 9d. ; balance in hand £4 os. od. ; total
£58 os. od.
Churchwardens : — Messrs. F. Clappen and J.
Stoddart.
holloway's, 1893.
Receipts : — Balance, £133 12s. 6d. ; dividends,
^132 os. od. ; rent, Woodstock Road, £3*/ is. 8d. ;
rent, Stonesfield, £3? os. od ; rent, Stonesfield,
^~34 5s. 5d. ; rent charge, Stonesfield, £2 8s. id. ;
rent, Curbridge, ^~ioo 12s. 6d. ; Hailey Allotment,
8s. 1 id. ; Hailey, ^"32 os. od. ; total, ^507 9s. id.
Expenditure : — Paid Widows, ^"64 16s. od.
paid, Repairs, ^"60 4s. 2d. ; clothing for boys
^"56 os. iod. ; apprenticeship fees, £j$ os. od.
schoolmaster j£"ioo os. od. ; insurance, £3 18s. od.
tithes, ^"36 5s. 8d. ; quit rent, taxes, and rates
^"8 5s. 2d. • fires, cleaning school, &c, £'] 3s. 6d. }
CHARITIES OF WITNEY. 307
stationery, &c, £12 7s. $&. ; dinner, £5 3s. $(*. ;
balance, £7% 4s. 8d. ; total, £$oj 9s. id.
MADDOCK'S CHARITY.
This charity is not mentioned in any of the
Charity Commissioners Reports. It consists of ^"500
Stock, and was left in 18 14 by a gentleman named
Maddock, who was formerly a weaver, at Witney.
The income last year amounted to ^"11 13s. 2d.,
which sum, with the exception of 5s. 2d. for sundry
expenses, was expended in shoes, given to poor
men of Witney. The present trustees are : — Messrs.
Jas. Marriott, Saml. Shuffrey, and Thos. Druce. The
testator stipulated that the trustees should be three
Churchmen and three Nonconformists.
waring's bread charity.
The income of this charity is now about ^"40
per annum, which amount is expended in bread,
given away on the 1st January. The present trustees
being Messrs. C. W. Early and J. A, Clinch.
townsend's.
William Townscnd gave money for the building
and endowing of six Almshouses for aged unmarried
women. The houses, which are pleasantly situated
near Newland, were built in 1 821. Each occupant
receives 4s. per week. Nanny Townsend also
bequeathed a sum of money, the interest of which
is given in clothing tickets, to the value of 10s. ea'ch.
These are distributed by the Weslevan ministers,
308 HISTORY OF WITNEY.
Independent minister, and the Society of Friends.
Ten tickets are given, by each of the above, to the
poor of their congregation. The trustees of these
two latter charities are : — Messrs C. W. Early, C. A.
Davenport, and A. J. Marriott.
COAL FUND.
Receipts : — Hanks's Gift, £2*1 10s. od. ; Mrs.
Warrington's Legacy, £\2 Js. ^d. ; from Bailiffs,
£7 5s. 3d. ; Rector, Churchwardens, Bailiffs, and
Overseers, £i$ ; subscriptions, ^"21 6s. od. ; payments
from recipients, £89 8s. od ; total ^"172 16s. jd.
Expenditure : — Balance due to treasurer,
£j 12s. 9d. ; paid for coal, ^156 13s. od. ; sundry
expenses, £1 19s. yd. ; balance in hand £6 us. 3d.
The committee are : — Messrs. C. D. Batt, W. D.
Hyde, J. Knight, A. L. Leigh, N. J. G. Ravenor,
W. Smith, J. Stoddart, and W. H. Tarrant, jun.
THE END.
LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.
Adams, Mrs., Hailey
Albright, Mr. J.,
Charlbury, (2)
Andrews, Mr. T.,
Witney, (2)
Batt, Mr. C. D., Witney
Bayliss, Mr. R., Witney
Birmingham, Mr. J.,
Witney.
Bliss, Mr. J. D.,
Witney, (2)
Bowerman, Mr. E. G.,
Eynsham Hall.
Brown, Rev. E. L.,
Eastbourne
Bryant, Rev. W., Bicester
Burford, Mr. W., Witney
Cass, Rev. W. A., Burford
Champness, Mr. J. E.,
Ipswich
Cheatle, Mr. T. H.,
Burford
Clappen, Mr., F. Witney
Clarke, Mr. W. J., Witney
Clinch, Mrs. J. M.,
Oxford, (4)
Clinch, Miss L., Witney
Clinch, Mr. T. W.,
Isle of Man
Cutler, Mr. R., Witney
Davenport, Mr.T., Oxford
Douthwaite, Mr. G.
London
Dring, Mr. J., Witney (2)
Druce, Mr. W.,
Newhaven, Sussex
Early, Mr. C, Witney, (6)
Early, Mr. C. W.,
Witney, (3)
Early, Mr. J. V.,
Witney, (3)
Early, Mrs. R., Witney
Eaton, Mr. H., Witney
Eaton, Mr. W. G.,
Witney
Edwards, Mrs., Ramsden
Elms, Mr., Witney
Fisher, Mr. H., Southsea
Flood, Miss, London
Fyfield, Mr. E., Witney
Gerring, Mr. C, Witney
Gillett, Mr. C. E.,
Oxford
Gillett, Mrs. R., Witney
Gough, Mr. H., Redhill
Green, Mr. F., Aston (3)
Green, Mr. F. M.,
Witney, (2)
Green, Mr. J. L.,
Salisbury
Groves, Mr. A, T.,
Milton
Habgood and Son,
Witney
Habgood, Mr. H. C,
Witney
Halls, Mrs., Witney
Hambidge, Miss,
Charlbury
Hankins, Mr. J. junr.,
Witney
Harrison, Mr. M. C. C,
Witney
Harris, Mrs. W., Witney
Harwood, Miss M.,
Ipswich
Hawkins, Mr. F.,
Eynsham Hall
Hayter, Mr. F., Witney
Hemingway, Mr. A.,
Witney, (4)
Hickman, Mr. C,
Wanstead
Higgins, Mr. G. R.,
Burcot
Home, Miss L., Witney
Hosier, Mr. G., Croydon
Hoden, Mr., London
Humphries, Mr. F.,
Hailey
Hyde, Mr. E.,
Witney, (5)
Hyde, Mr. W. D. Witney
Jackson, Mr. J., Witney
Jones, Mr. R., London
Kemp, Mr. A., Witney
Lee, Rev. T. W.,
Leafield
Leigh, Mr. A. L., Witney
Long, Mr. C, London
Long, Mr., Senr., Witney
Macray, Rev. W. D.
Ducklington
Macray, Miss M. K.,
Ducklington
Macray, Rev. W. R.,
Crieff, N.B.
Macray, Rev. W. E-,
Pernambuco
Macray, Mr. K. C,
Brazil
Mansell, Mrs., London
Mason, Mr. J.,
Eynsham Hall, (6)
Mason, Mr. J. F.,
Eynsham Hall, (2)
Meikie, Mr. R.,
New Barnet, (3)
Middleton, Mr. F.,
Witney
Mildmay, Rev. St. John,
Witney
Miller, Mr. W. S.,
Witney
Morrell, Mr. G. H., "
Oxford, (10)
Moss, Mr. H., Witney (2)
Newman, Rev. W.,
Witney
Payne, Rev. E. J. U.
Coggs
Pickering, Miss, Wilcote
Piggott, Mr. H. F.,
Burford, (2)
Pinder, Rev. H. F.,
Witney, (2)
Porter, Mrs. E.,
Newbury, (2)
Prescott, Mr. E.
Woodstock
Pritchett, Mr. J. W.,
London
Pyke, Mr. C. R., Witney
Ravenor, Mr. N. J. G.
Witney, (6)
Ravenor, Mr. H. T.,
Witney
Robbins, Mr. H., Witney
Robbins, Mr. T.,
Marden, Kent
Robbins, Mr. C. W.,
Henley-on-Thames
Salmon, Mr. H. H.,
Witney
Scott, Rev. H. J.,
Witney
Seely, Mr. W., Witney
Seacole, Mr. J., Witney
Shayler, Mr. J.,
Witney, (2)
Shuffrey, Mr. J. A.,
Petersfield, Hants,
Shuffrey, Mr. S.,
Witney, (2)
Smith, Mr. W.,
Smith, Mr. H.,
Smith, Mr. S.,
Witney,
Smith, Mr. Herbert,
Witney
12
Sims, Mr. J. C, Witney
Southby, Mr. P.,
Bampton
Talboys, Mr. M., Witney
Talbot, Mr. J.,
Witney, (2)
Tarrant, Mr. E.,
Witney, (2)
Taylor, Mr. F., Witney
Thornhill, Miss K., '
Ascott, (4)
Upstone, Mr. J.,
Oxford, (2)
Vernon, Mr. W. H.
London, (2)
Walker, Mrs., Burwell
Walter, Mr. J. B.,
Bur ford
Watson, Mr. I. M.,
Bampton
Watts, Mr., Witney, (2)
Webb, Miss L., Brixton
Weatherall, T. E.,
London
Whitney, Mr. J.,
London
Wiggins, Miss, Bridport
Wilsdon, Mrs.,
Ducklington
Wilson, Rev. H. W.,
Hailey
Wright, Mr. E.,
Philadelphia, (3)
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